Violence prevention

Violent, threatening or harassing behaviour is never acceptable in the workplace. This is true even if the employee has a mental health issue or is going through a life stressor. If this is the case, the employee needs to seek help outside of work. They should not return until this type of behaviour is no longer a concern. Having effective and enforceable policies in place can be the first step to preventing violence at work.

Understand the issue

• Consult your legal advisor if you suspect that mental illness is a factor in violent or aggressive behaviour. Do this before engaging in disciplinary action. Ensure you are in compliance with applicable human rights legislation.
• Studies have shown that people living with mental health conditions aren't more likely to engage in violent behaviour than the general population. Experiences of discrimination and violence can result in:
  • Psychological distress
  • Feelings of low self-esteem
  • Anxiety
  • Depression

(Reprinted from Canadian Mental Health Association, 2011, Violence and Mental Health; Unpacking a Complex Issue, a discussion paper.)

It’s advisable to respond swiftly and effectively to violence, threats of violence and acts of aggression.

• Unaddressed conflict among co-workers may contribute to unhealthy and potentially dangerous workplaces.
• Unaddressed harassment has been a primary factor for violence in some workplaces.
• Resolve issues promptly, seeking help from outside resources where necessary.
• The best predictor of violent or aggressive behaviour is a history of it. 
• Domestic violence is an issue that may become workplace violence or harassment. This could happen when it occurs at or spills over into the workplace. Often, employers may not see domestic violence as a workplace hazard. Unfortunately it negatively affects the victim, their co-workers and the organization.

This information can help your organization address and prevent domestic violence. It will also support employees who may be victims.

Develop a policy

• Define acts of violence. Include threats of violent action against personnel and company property.
• Ensure that as an employer you take reasonable precautions to protect workers against domestic violence. This is required in some jurisdictions.
• Declare that the organization won’t tolerate violent or aggressive behaviour.
• Describe the disciplinary action given to offenders, in strict terms.
• Ask employees not to intervene but to call their manager or 911.
• Ensure the policy outlines what employees are to do in extreme situations. For example, in the event of gun wielding or hostage taking.
• Refer to your code of conduct where appropriate and as it applies to the policy.
• Assess your organization for common areas of risk associated with workplace violence, including:
  
  • Previous violent or aggressive behaviour
  • Recurring instances of bullying or harassment
  • Unresolved or recurring conflict
• Ensure the policy clarifies:
  
  • The process for responding to acts of violence and reporting an incident of violence
  • How to complete an incident report
  • How to notify the accused
  • The process for conflict resolution
  • The employees' responsibilities during an investigation
  • How the duty to accommodate applies for an employee involved who may be experiencing a mental illness
  • How both parties will be supported to deal with the stress of the incident investigation. For example, an employee assistance program (EAP) or counselling
  • How the reputation and privacy of both parties will be protected
  • Details of how the outcome of an investigation will be communicated and addressed
  • The interim measures that will address concerns such as:
    
    • Competing interests
    • Public safety
    • Health and safety of other employees
    •  Reputation of the organization
• Have the policy reviewed by legal counsel and senior leaders.
  Communicate the policy

Develop processes and procedures

• Develop and put in place procedures for reporting all incidents of violence. These should include recurring occurrences of bullying and harassment in the workplace.
  
  • Make sure employees know:
    • What to do and who to talk to when threatened by violence in the workplace
    • That, if the organization chooses, reporting will allow for the support of a personal advocate for either party. People experiencing mental health issues often don't have the stamina to engage in this process on their own
    • How to initiate a complaint 
    • The procedures to resolve a complaint 
    • How the employee reporting will be protected 
    • What will be expected of them in an investigation
• Develop and implement procedures for investigating, following up and recording incidents involving violence.
• Ensure investigation procedures clearly set out the processes that will be followed, including:
  
  • Who will conduct the investigation
  • How the complaint will be investigated
  • The rights of involved parties to representation
  • An approximate timeline
  • A mechanism for appealing a decision
• Annually review the policy and processes to ensure they continue to meet workplace needs and concerns.

Develop organizational strategies

• Take steps to prevent or reduce the risk of workplace violence. Do this by developing a psychologically healthy workplace for employees focused on:
  
  • Resolving workplace issues
  • Improving the quality of performance feedback
  • Ensuring all employees are treated fairly and reasonably
  • Communicating openly at all levels
  • Increasing management accountability by setting goals
• Consider facilitating the free Psychologically safe interactions workshop workshop. It can help to raise awareness of how workplace behaviours may be interpreted as bullying, even when that wasn't the intention. 
• Ensure that the organization's direction for workplace safety is reflected and highlighted into corporate  goals.
• Ensure a timely response to disruptive and violent behaviour.
• Conduct ongoing risk assessments for workplace violence. Violence response for leaders provides some sample questions.
• Advocate for action to prevent workplace violence at the system level, working with:
  • Governments
    • Advocate for legislation that demands violence-free workplaces with zero tolerance for verbal, physical, emotional or sexual violence. Do this especially if these statutory laws don’t already exist in your jurisdiction.
    • Review inquest reports on workplace violence to learn from their recommendations.
    • Work with governments in developing and implementing multi-sector strategies in collaboration with workplaces, the community and government.
  • Research experts
    • Partner with experts in workplace violence. This can help increase knowledge about workplace and occupational-specific violence at work.
  • Accreditation bodies
    • Encourage your organization's affiliated accreditation bodies to develop and adopt standards about workplace violence.
  • Professional, union and regulatory bodies
    • Work with your organization's professional, union and regulatory bodies where appropriate, to ensure consistent messaging about workplace safety.
    • Collaboratively review and respond to the efforts of other organizations and workplaces to reduce violence and enhance workplace safety.

Provide training to leaders and managers

• Provide training to managers on the organization's violence prevention policy and procedures, and ensure that managers have the skills to recognize and deal with violent behaviour.
• Integrate violence prevention into leadership development and education programs.
• Provide all managers with conflict resolution training that specifically considers mental health concerns.
• Have managers work with team members to develop team/departmental practices, policies and expectations related to respectful behaviour.
• Have managers be aware of and work with team members to prevent behaviours that can foster anger, mistrust, insecurity or violence. This can include activities such as gossiping, bullying, socially isolating others, pushing, yelling, or throwing things. 

Educate employees

• Provide information and education to staff about the impact of violence in the workplace, and on life and relationships.
• Ensure that everyone in your workplace, including consultants, apprentices and students have the opportunity to learn how to respond to workplace violence and keep themselves safe.
• Ensure adherence to workplace health and safety standards.
• Ensure employees know how to follow organizational processes that require mandatory reporting of potential workplace violence activities.
• Educate employees on how to support colleagues who may be experiencing violence and encouraging those colleagues to come forward.
• Have employees contribute to the development of organizational processes that aim to eliminate workplace violence and increase workplace health and safety.

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health produced a series of videos to help address stigma related to employing people with serious mental illness. 

Domestic violence

Some provinces have laws that make it mandatory for employers to protect employees who are at risk of domestic violence.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) shares that domestic violence is a pattern of behaviour used by one person to gain power and control over another with whom they have or have had an intimate relationship. It can include many forms of physically or psychologically violent behaviours. There are additional dimensions to violence in a domestic relationship that are unique, such as:

• Using property, pets or children to threaten and intimidate
• Economic abuse, such as:
  • Withholding or stealing money
  • Stopping a partner from reporting to work
  • Preventing a partner from getting or keeping a job
• Sexual, spiritual or emotional abuse.

People experiencing domestic violence often feel isolated. They may feel ashamed or have concerns that their situation will compromise their employment, so they may be afraid to speak up. Also, those who suspect an employee may be a victim are afraid to approach this subject or intervene. This further isolation increases the risk to those who experience domestic violence.

Domestic violence could impact the workplace in the following ways:

• Reduced productivity and motivation
• Decreased worker morale
• Potential harm to employees, co-workers and/or clients
• Increased replacement, recruitment and training costs if victims are dismissed for poor performance or absenteeism
• Strained co-worker relations

Learn approaches to Addressing domestic violence.

Learn to have a supportive conversation with Someone you care about who may be experiencing domestic abuse.

Organizational strategies

CCOHS suggests employers put in place the following efforts as part of the workplace violence prevention policy:

• Identify warning signs. Train all employees to recognize the warning signs and risk factors. People who experience domestic violence may be more likely to report it to a co-worker than to others in the workplace. The University of Western Ontario Centre for Research on Violence Against Women & Children offers some helpful information on Domestic Violence Warning Signs for the Workplace.
• Establish a support network. Various people can offer support and assistance to employees experiencing domestic violence. It may help to work together to provide a supportive network. Team members may include:
  • Supervisor
  • Trusted co-worker
  • Human resources
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider
  • Union representatives
• Develop a safety plan. Workplaces can create individualized and workplace safety plans to address the situation. Plans can be reviewed and updated as circumstances change. After speaking to the employee and ensuring confidentiality, share the plans with anyone who helps ensure safety. You can establish a safety plan by working with the employee to:
  • Establish a restraining or protection order and help them make sure all conditions of that order are followed.
  • Identify possible solutions. Follow up and check on how the solutions are working for them.
  • Share a recent photo or description of the abuser. Alert others, such as security and reception, so they’re aware of whom to look for.
  • Relocate their workstation so they can’t be seen through windows or from the outside.
  • Leave out their contact information in publicly available company directories or the website.
  • Change their work phone number, have another person screen their calls or block the abuser's calls and emails.
  • Pre-program 911 on a phone or cell phone. Install a panic button in their work area or provide personal alarms.
  • Provide a well-lit parking spot near the building. Or escort the individual to their car/ public transit.
  • Offer flexible work scheduling if it can help.
  • Call the police if the abuser exhibits criminal activity. For example, stalking or unauthorized electronic monitoring.
  • Ensure the victim and abuser aren’t scheduled to work at the same time or come into contact. This is necessary if both come into the organization as:
    
    • Employees
    • Clients
    • Customers
    • Patients
    • Vendors
    • Suppliers
  • Establish disciplinary procedures to hold the abuser accountable for unacceptable behaviour in the workplace if they work at the same organization.

Adapted from: Making It Our Business (2014) from the Centre for Research & Education on Violence against Women & Children

Supporting the employee

Starting a conversation about family violence with an employee can be difficult. Your role as an employer or supervisor is not to be a counsellor, but rather to approach the employee in a professional, sensitive manner, and find out what help is required and where the employee can find it.

When an employee tells you about abuse, it can help to make a strong statement of support such as, “No one deserves to be abused,” rather than showing shock or dismay. When talking with an employee, your role is primarily to:

• Provide initial support
• Refer the employee to available resources in the community or to an employee assistance program

When addressing the issue of family violence with an employee, ensure that you:

• Offer to meet in a private and confidential environment.
• Identify any job performance problems you have observed in a clear way. Here’s an example: “I notice you’re having difficulty meeting your deadlines and you don't seem quite yourself. Is there anything I can do to help?”
• Express empathy that personal issues can interfere with work performance.
• Refrain from referring to abusers exclusively as “he” – family violence victims and offenders can be of any gender.
• Use respectful language. Call a person by their name or refer to the nature of the relationship. Use terms like “your partner,” “your spouse,” or “your friend”. Avoid using labels such as “abuser” or “batterer”.
• Avoid accusing, diagnosing or drawing conclusions about the situation.
• Listen to what the employee has to say and support them to seek help.
• Offer company and community resources, like:
  
  • Employee assistance plan information
  • Contact information for family violence prevention services
  • Crisis line numbers
• Develop a plan to help the employee maintain job performance and a strategy to implement it.
• Recommend the employee speak to a trained counsellor who can help develop a plan to deal with the issues. Resources may include:
  
  • Employee assistance plan
  • Crisis line counsellors
  • Domestic abuse prevention professionals in the community
• Help the employee determine if the abuser’s behaviour may put others in the workplace at risk.
• Work with the employee to keep other staff safe without breaching confidentiality if it appears they might be in danger.

Adapted from: Safe@Work coalition (https://safeatworkcoalition.org/familyviolence)

Additional resources

The following are links to resources related to domestic violence that may be of assistance.

• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety – Violence in the Workplace – Domestic Violence
• Bill 168: Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace). (2009) Retrieved from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
• It’s Your Business – A Domestic & Intimate Partner Violence Workplace Toolkit, New Brunswick | PDF
• Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime
• Can Work be Safe, When Home Isn't? Initial Findings of a Pan-Canadian Survey on Domestic Violence and the Workplace. (2014) London, ON: Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women and Children. | PDF
• Domestic Violence Doesn't Stop When Your Worker Arrives at Work: What Employers Need to Know
• Anger. Anger can be a very difficult emotion because of our upbringing, societal norms and our fear of the intensity this emotion can bring. Anger is a valuable emotion; it’s our reaction to it that we may need to adjust to prevent harm to ourselves and others.