badworkplace

Posts Tagged ‘Workplace Violence’

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Did “Sick” Work Environment Cause Missouri Job Shooting?

In bad management, disgruntled worker, WORK - Bad Workplaces, WORK - Workplace Violence on 01/11/2010 at 9:33 pm

There’s still no definitive answer as to why Timothy G. Hendron arrived at ABB Inc. in St. Louis on Thursday, Jan 7, armed with hundreds of bullets and an assault rifle, two handguns and a shotgun. He popped off more than 100 rounds at about 6:30 a.m. CT at the Swiss-owned St. Louis transformer manufacturing company, killing at least three coworkers and injuring five others before shooting himself.

Clearly, there are numerous things that can push an employee toward an act of violence. Although individuals cannot be absolved from blame for violence, in some cases it is the organization itself that is “sick” enough to trigger workplace violence. In a “normal environment” individuals may express their stress or vent their negative feelings in a more-or-less acceptable manner.  But in a “sick environment,” especially if the organization does not acknowledge and change its climate, the hostility continues to build. Eventually, the Violence Volcano can be expected to erupt in the form of more extreme violent behavior, such as death or other irreparable damage.

There is a possibility that this is what happened at ABB Inc. Reportedly, Hendron and a few other ABB employees had been dissatisfied with actions regarding the company’s retirement plan. They had filed a lawsuit in 2006 against administrators of the company’s retirement plan. We don’t yet know the feedback, if any, that may have been given to the plaintiffs or the expected outcome of that case. Hendron may have thought, for example, that it was a losing battle and thus decided to take the case into his own hands.

In The Violence Volcano (Van Fleet and Van Fleet, 2010) we discuss the symptoms of a “sick” internal environment and how to minimize the impact of these negative organizational influences and manage their occurrence and consequences.
http://people.cti.asu.edu/vanfleet/books/1index.html

 

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HARASSMENT: WORKER’s GODLY DUTY?

In WORK - Bad Workplaces, WORK - Harassment, WORK - Workplace Violence on 01/08/2010 at 11:57 pm

Individuals who would probably scream the loudest if subjected to bullying, threatening remarks, or sexual harassment are often unaware that their own behavior, although nonsexual, is considered as harassment by their coworkers.

  • CASE: What can you say when a coworker in the office constantly annoys everyone with her religious talks? A get-together at her home turns out to be a recruiting meeting for her church, not an office party. She sends emails and pamphlets and corners workers in the break room and at lunch to push her views. Conversations start as a pretext to something that’s office-related but always end up with her turning the subject to her religion and how we need to experience what she experiences. By the way, her boss goes to the same church.

Someone, preferably HR rather than a coworker, needs to inform her that harassment is not necessarily sexual in nature and that it can be subtle (shunning, annoying, or avoiding an individual) or very overt (propositioning or making explicit requests). Harassment of any kind can affect workers deeply, although some individuals may be able to cope with them so that they are not so disruptive of the work environment.

We personally have dealt successfully with religious harassment by simply telling the other person calmly, eye-to-eye, that we are happy that she has found the religion of her choice and that it brings her much joy – but that we also have made our choices, that we have our own religious views, and are not open to changing. “We respect your choices; please respect ours.”

If that doesn’t work, tell the person that you would appreciate her not discussing personal, non-work matters at work, as religion is a very private matter and that probably no one here is interested in changing his or her choice.

Notice that we do not suggest telling the person whether we attend church or believe in her God. All such personal questions should go unanswered as they are inappropriate for office discussion.

Have you experienced this type of workplace problem?  Let us hear from you.

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Health and Work Safety: Food Safety and the Food Supply

In 1, disgruntled worker, food safety, terrorism, WORK - Bad Workplaces, WORK - Harassment, WORK - Safety, WORK - Workplace Violence on 12/28/2009 at 11:35 pm

So we forgot that terrorists were still looming large until the little Nigerian hopped aboard the big jet plane to Detroit just a half hour before it lifted off. Let us use this Christmas Day event as a reminder that we are vulnerable in other venues as well. The food industry, for example. Whether it involves international political extremists or just your everyday disgruntled worker who “has had it” with his boss, a coworker, or the company.

If you work in the food industry – or if you buy food at someone’s workplace – workplace violence could suddenly and unexpectedly take on a whole new meaning for you.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 76 million food-borne illness cases occur “naturally” or “non-intentionally” in the United States every year.

This amounts to one in four Americans becoming ill after eating foods contaminated with pathogens such as E. Coli O157: H7, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, Campylobacter, Shigella, Norovirus and Listeria.

Every year about 325,000 people are hospitalized with a diagnosis of food poisoning, and 5,000 die.

How easy would it be, then, for a disgruntled worker or customer to intentionally contaminate our food supply?

Is it any wonder that our Government and the food industry are concerned that terrorists might also target our food supply?

Are you concerned? Should you be?

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Health and Safety at Work: Finding a Safe Job

In 1 on 12/17/2009 at 6:27 pm
  • “[There are] … four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody would not do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.” (Michaud, PA. (1995). Accident Prevention and OSHA Compliance.  Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Inc., p.3)

Assuring safe jobs is everybody’s business — including the unemployed who are seeking work. Not that we have a lot of  choices in this terrible job market.

Numerous individuals tell us they are exhausted, working every hour of overtime that they can get during the big holiday sales.  They’re not complaining –they seek the overtime because they know or suspect that they will be unemployed after the big holiday sales are over.  Then comes the job of seeking new employment.

It’s tempting to take any job that is offered, but we hope you can find one for which you would expect a very low level of accidents.   As you plan your job hunt and as you interview for various jobs,  seek information about accidents and safety.  Or, as the workload slows at the beginning of the year, look at the job that you currently have to see whether it could be made safer.

Here are some questions for which you may wish to seek answers:

  • Has this organization ever received an OSHA citation? If so, how was it handled?
  • What is this organization’s safety philosophy? Its safety program?
  • What is the accident record for this organization, and how does that compare to others in the field?
  • What is the accident record for this particular job, and how does that compare to similar jobs in other organizations?
  • What are the normal working conditions for this job?
  • What kinds of unsafe conditions might I encounter in this job?
  • What is the role of my potential supervisor in accident prevention?
  • What kind of insurance and/or worker’s compensation applies in case I do have an accident on this job?
  • Based on what you hear or can observe, is this not a hostile environment that is likely to experience violent incidents in the future?

We sincerely hope that the employment situation improves in the coming year.  Meanwhile, have a blessed holiday, and good luck on finding or keeping a safe job.

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Health and Work Safety: The Government and Food Safety

In 1, food safety on 12/07/2009 at 4:17 am

In the summer of 2009, a Food Safety Working Group established by President Obama recommended a food safety approach based on three principles: prioritizing prevention, strengthening surveillance and enforcement, and improving response and recovery.

Other plans supporting a new food safety system that is focused on preventive controls — not just response — and on holding companies responsible for safety problems have been recently introduced or passed by the House of Representatives (H.R. 2749, H.R.1332, H.R.875), supported by both the Health and Human Services and the USDA, and also backed by various consumer groups and farm-to-table industries.

The Consumers Union is also on record as strongly calling for greater government regulation re. food safety.

Where do you stand on this issue?  Do you think the Federal Gov’t. should be doing more to protect our food supply? Or do you think the Gov’t is interfering with the food industry?

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Dangerous Coworkers

In 1 on 11/22/2009 at 10:14 pm

Do you work with individuals who are potentially harmful to coworkers and other organizational assets?

Workers can be a dangerous threat without making a threatening statement. Operating vehicles or machinery irresponsibly, for example, can put coworkers at risk.

Even some workers who appear just to be inconsiderate or too immature to take responsibility for their actions can be potentially dangerous. They are the ones who forget to secure the doors, fail to follow correct procedures on the assembly line, forget to turn off the electric hotplate in the lunchroom, light a cigarette too close to flammable materials, block emergency exits with equipment or merchandise, or simply fail to remain alert on the job. This can include daydreaming, experiencing dull reactions due to medications, or falling asleep because of sleep apnea or sleep deprivation at home.

Other individuals have mental problems or attitude problems about work that result in choices that subject their coworkers to unnecessary risks. Included here are workers who, consciously or unconsciously want to “get back at” a coworker or the organization. For example, they can intentionally leave doors unsecured, sabotage computer data or equipment, jam machines, give information to competitors, participate in espionage, etc. These individuals may fit the profile of someone who could commit workplace violence in the future as their needs, feelings, or emotions intensify.

Then, of course, there are individuals whose minds and hearts are filled with hate that compels them to become terrorists against those who believe differently. They may kidnap for ransom to support a cause, for example, or destroy people and businesses in their role as an independent “soldier” for an organized cause. These may be the most difficult to identify or to remove from the workplace in today’s climate of political correctness.

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Health and Safety at Work: Stress on the Job

In 1, WORK - Bad Workplaces, WORK - Safety, WORK - Workplace Violence on 11/16/2009 at 3:19 pm

Just as you should seek information about accidents and safety for any job for which you are interested, you should also seek information about stressors and the level of stress on those jobs.

Stress is not a simple phenomenon. It refers to individual responses to strong stimuli, which are called stressors. While some stress can be positive— it can motivate you to work to your top level of performance— other stress or too much stress clearly is negative. Positive stress is beneficial whereas negative stress can be harmful if it is not recognized and dealt with at an early stage.

Stress can be caused by “good” as well as “bad” things. Excessive pressure, unreasonable demands on your time, and bad news can all cause stress. But receiving a promotion with a raise can be stressful, too: like the stress of wondering if you can handle the new job, or the disappointment of receiving a smaller raise than you had expected and thus not being able to afford something you had planned on being able to afford.

Positive stress is experienced by meeting deadlines, becoming more innovative, being more productive, and accepting challenges. Negative stress occurs when the pressures of life, including work, increase to a level where the individual can no longer cope. In other words, pressure is healthy until it exceeds the person’s ability to cope and then it can cause illness. Negative stress is the form you want to avoid.

Negative stress can be seriously debilitating and the effects can be long-lasting. Management and organizations suffer because of absenteeism, reduced productivity, increased compensation premiums — medical insurance based on stress are higher than other claims.  Thus, finding answers to questions such as the following will tell you indirectly if too much stress is associated with a particular company or job:

  • What is the level of turnover on this job?
  • What are the major sources of stress on this job?
  • What are the normal working conditions for this job?
  • Does this job involve ever having to handle or be exposed to chemicals, biological agents, or the like?
  • Does this job involve having to come into contact with people who are known to be sick?
  • Does the company have a wellness program?
  • Does the company have an Employee Assistance Program?

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Workplace Violence Not New But Growing

In 1 on 11/04/2009 at 5:57 pm

Why are we shocked that people are murdered at Yale, Virginia Tech, Columbine, or other institutions? Or federal buildings, USPS facilities, and Planned Parenthood offices?

Violence in society at large is not new, but it is growing.  Incidents of violence are mentioned in The Bible and in ancient hieroglyphics and literature. For centuries sailors who traveled far from their employers on the high seas faced piracy by groups of bandits. Various religious and political groups have frequently resorted to violence—and still do.

A larger and more organized group, the Mafia, has been around since its origination in Sicily during the 9th century.  Street gangs have been fighting for at least 400 years, and in the last century there were numerous instances of violence committed by “The Mob” or other criminal elements in places where people work.  We also saw American businessmen in other countries kidnapped and held for ransom from their employers or for political purposes.

However, virtually all of these violent attacks were tabulated as criminal acts, not workplace violence; and they had little direct impact on most citizens in the USA.  Public and managerial indifference began to change when violence struck closer home in the 1980s and 1990s, with repeated homicides at U.S. Postal facilities and the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

During the last 3 decades workplace violence also spread to a totally different group of workers in a worksite that had always been considered safe:  the nation’s schools–elementary, secondary, and more recently, higher education. From 1997 to 2007, for example, the most recent year for which data are readily available, more than 7,000 occupational homicides occurred nationwide (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) by individuals inside or outside the organization.

How safe is YOUR workplace?

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Annie Le’s Workplace Murder – Why?

In WORK - Bad Workplaces, WORK - Workplace Violence on 09/21/2009 at 12:12 am

Annie Le’s murder is an act of workplace violence because it happened in the workplace; it may also have resulted from a workplace disagreement.  But why did Clark allegedly commit this hideous crime?

Often it’s difficult to differentiate between causes that stem from work factors and those that come from personal and environmental factors. Personal life and work life are symbiotically related. So operating in an environment characterized by change, innovation, uncertainty, and stress, a worker’s behavior may stem from that general environment as well as the company’s internal environment.

To a large extent, we have been transformed into a violent society by shortcomings in our general environment. Consider some of the sociocultural environment influences that make violence more acceptable and workers more vulnerable.

Violence is “forgiven” or left unchecked by an inefficient judicial system supported by large legal fees, rationalized, glamorized in our entertainment industry, practiced through computer and video games, provoked by the failure of the world’s greatest economic system to provide enough good jobs, and worsened by stresses brought on by our economy. We all become desensitized to some degree, but emotionally fragile persons can become totally desensitized, legitimizing their actions on the basis of others’ violent acts.

Other sociological reasons include the detachment from family, church, and community so that those institutions are no longer there to pull them through in times of trouble.  And, of course, we can’t overlook the increased presence of, and access to, both alcohol and legal and illegal drugs.

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Health and Safety at Work: Should You Be Concerned?

In WORK - Bad Workplaces, WORK - Safety on 09/20/2009 at 11:51 pm

Is your job a safe place to work? Do you know? Should we be analyzing our jobs to see whether they are safe?

There was a time when citizens could feel safe at work unless they were employed in a high-risk job like law enforcement, fire service, the military, or maybe construction.

There was a time when mothers and fathers taught their children that they would be safe if they went to work or school and “stayed out of trouble.”

Today, you may have a responsible, high-paying, accident-free job in a high-class company located in a high-rent district and still be unsafe.

The only machine you operate may be a computer; yet you could still face debilitating illness from your job.  You may make a business trip to another company location and encounter a terrorist’s bomb.

Unfortunately, all jobs are not safe, so everyone should be concerned about safe jobs. About 8% of all private sector employees will suffer lost time during any given year due to injuries or illness. Over a million American workers each year suffer disabling injuries.

Shouting “everyone is going to die,” a fired Fort Lauderdale maintenance employee walked into a meeting of his former co-workers, chased them around the office, and methodically shot them — killing five and injuring another.

A female teacher was left dead and a second critically wounded after an expelled student at a South Carolina high school returned to the school building and starting shooting.  He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.

After re-organization, downsizing, or restructuring, employees are expected to assume more duties and work longer hours with no change in their pay.  Mandatory overtime is required by many employers, placing a burden on employees but particularly those with families with small children.  Higher levels of stress often lead to workplace violence.

Such incidents have become all too common in organizational life.  As a result, many people have become interested in learning more about job safety and, in particular, which jobs seem to present the lowest risk to people holding those jobs.

Think about it.  How may YOU be able to make your company or your child’s school a safer place to work?