Workplace Violence Prevention: The Ratio of People to Cake Is Too Big

Case Studies in Prevention, Policy, Process and Practice

Don’t wait for a lawsuit to learn that your company is out of step with compliance elements of your Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. Simply having a document created by human resources or legal will not be sufficient to follow the law. Join Dr. Van Brunt, Brian Heider, and advisory board members as we present a series of scenarios demonstrating workplace violence prevention and response processes. Test your policy with these cases to find misses before the lawsuit.

From the initial report to reviewing each step in the process, our team of experts will share practical, research-informed best practices to manage a variety of scenarios. The live series is offered free; access to the recording, forms, rubrics, checklists, sample documentation, and other supplemental materials is available with a WVPA yearly membership.

Each program will address these questions, tied to the specific elements of the scenario:

• Do I need to create a Violent Incident Log (VIL) for this case?
• What are the legal risks that arise in this case?
• Describing the threat (transient/substantive, affective/targeted, hunting/howling, vague/direct, conditional ultimatum, creditability, actionability, lethality).
• How and when should I communicate the details of this incident internally and externally?
• Does this incident require a TVRA/CPTED-type physical walkthrough after the resolution (as directed by SB 553)?
• What do the specific elements of the gathering of data, analysis of risk, and development of the mitigation plan look like for this scenario?
• Are there system-wide policies and procedures that need to be addressed?

This month: An employee engages in odd behavior around the office, leading to teasing and negative interactions with other employees. Some examples include complaining about office noise, touching a female employee on the nose and saying ‘boop,’ and commenting on people's clothing. These statements and actions start causing concerns with other staff and awkward tensions with prospective customers and vendors. Learn how to address these behaviors through early intervention, crucial conversation concepts that set clear boundaries, and developing a performance improvement plan when needed.