WHEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IMPACTS YOUR WORKPLACE

STATISTICS SHOW AT LEAST 33% OF EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND 54% SAY IT FOLLOWS THEM TO WORK. (1) THIS CAN TAKE A SIGNIFICANT TOLL ON EMPLOYEES’ MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, AND ALSO AFFECTS PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTIVITY, ABSENTEEISM, WORKLOAD, AND MORALE. CALIFORNIA EMPLOYEES LOSE $77.9 MILLION ANNUALLY DUE TO DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS. (2) “THE WORKPLACE PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN PROTECTING AN EMPLOYEE FROM FURTHER ABUSE, ENSURING THE SAFETY OF ALL EMPLOYEES AND PROVIDING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCING ABUSE,”

DON'T LET VIOLENCE TAKE YOUR WORKPLACE BY SURPRISE

WHEN WE'RE ENGAGED BY A CLIENT TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION OR PROVIDE SECURITY AFTER A MAJOR INCIDENCE OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE, WE OFTEN HEAR THE SAME COMMENT: "WE WERE TAKEN BY SURPRISE - WE NEVER IMAGINED SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD HAPPEN HERE."

THE TRUTH IS THAT VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT CAN HAPPEN IN ANY WORKPLACE, REGARDLESS OF LOCATION, INDUSTRY, SIZE OR DEMOGRAPHICS. COMPANIES THAT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS, AND TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO MITIGATE RISK, ARE THE ONES MOST LIKELY TO MINIMIZE THE HARM DONE TO EMPLOYEES, THE BUSINESS - AND TO THE BOTTOM LINE.

THE FIRST STEP IS PUTTING THREAT ASSESSMENT PROCESSES IN PLACE. ESTABLISHING SYSTEMATIC GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING THREAT ASSESSMENTS CAN ENSURE THAT THE ORGANIZATION RECOGNIZES AND ADDRESSES VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT RISKS BEFORE THEY ESCALATE INTO A MAJOR INCIDENT - AND TAKE EVERYONE BY SURPRISE.

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT PUTTING THREAT ASSESSMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE? IT'S A COMPLICATED SUBJECT, BUT THESE ARE OUR RECOMMENDED FIRST STEPS.

1.       ENSURE LEADERSHIP IS ON BOARD

2.       ASSEMBLE A THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAM - AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE TRAINING

3.       DOCUMENTED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

4.       COMMUNICATION PLAN

5.       THREAT ASSESSMENT RISK MANAGEMENT IS A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT

WORKPLACE VILENCE COURSE

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APPROXIMATELY 42% OF ACTIVE VIOLENCE HAPPENS AT A PLACE OF BUSINESS. 7 1/2 MINUTES CAN CHANGE THE WORLD THAT YOU LIVE IN

I HAVE A FEW CALCULATIONS WHEN TALKING TO A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OR VICE PRESIDENT ABOUT THEIR COMPANY’S SECURITY NEEDS. I WILL ASK WHAT SECURITY THEY CURRENTLY HAVE, AND THE ANSWER TYPICALLY MIGHT BE, ONE PERSON AT A DESK, 24/7. “HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THAT’S WHAT YOU NEED?” I ASK. “THAT’S THE WAY IT’S ALWAYS BEEN,” IS A COMMON ANSWER. “IS THE PERSON ARMED? NO. WHAT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS? WE CALL THE POLICE,” “I’LL ASK THEM, ‘WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HAPPEN. BETWEEN THE TIME SOMEBODY SHOWS UP WITH A GUN AND THE POLICE ARRIVE ON THE SCENE?’ “I THEN POINT OUT THAT IF THE AVERAGE POLICE RESPONSE TIME HIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA IS 7½ MINUTES, AND AN ACTIVE SHOOTER CAN FIRE 15 ROUNDS IN 4.5 SECONDS, 450 THAT’S HOW MANY ROUNDS COULD BE FIRED BEFORE THE FIRST OFFICER GETS THERE. UNLESS AN ORGANIZATION HAS THE PROPER ASSETS ON SITE BEFORE AN INCIDENT OCCURS, PUBLIC SAFETY CANNOT ARRIVE IN TIME TO MAKE A MEASURABLE DIFFERENCE IN THE OUTCOME. THEY JUST CAN’T. IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT. INVESTING IN A QUALITY SECURITY PROGRAM IS AN INVESTMENT, NOT A COST. … SECURITY DECISIONS CANNOT BE MADE AS IF SECURITY WERE A COMMODITY. “TO CONVINCE EXECUTIVES TO TREAT SECURITY MORE SERIOUSLY, THEY NEED TO SEE MEANINGFUL METRICS, I ARTICULATE “YOU CAN’T APPRAISE EVERYTHING, BUT YOU CAN APPRAISE A LOT. WE REVIEW REPORTS, POLICE REPORTS, IF THERE’S A LOSS,” “EVERY PROPERTY HAS ITS PERSONALITY. TAKE A BUSINESS AND MOVE IT FIVE BLOCKS, IT WILL HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT RISK PROFILE, OR PERSONALITY. THAT’S WHY A SECURITY MANAGEMENT SURVEY IS SO CRITICAL, TO DETERMINE THE RISK FOR THAT BUSINESS IN THAT AREA – AND CUSTOMIZE A PLAN BASED ON THOSE RISKS. “IF A BUSINESS HAS ONGOING ISSUES WITH CAR BREAK-INS, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY CAN START PUTTING MEASURES IN PLACE AND IF THEY SEE A 50-PERCENT REDUCTION, THAT’S POSITIVE. “THAT MEANS WHAT WE DID WORKED, BUT HOW DO YOU GET IT DOWN TO SINGLE DIGITS? YOU LOOK AT LOCATIONS AND TIMES OF DAY. YOU LOOK AT VARIABLES SCIENTIFICALLY. “COMPANIES THAT CONTINUE TO USE UNTRAINED TRADITIONAL GUARDS “EITHER DON’T CARE OR AREN’T WILLING TO LISTEN WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO CARE.” “THEY’RE NOT RISK-TAKING; THEY’RE GAMBLING. … IF THEY’RE NOT GOING TO ARM THEIR SECURITY AND DO IT RIGHT, THEN CALL THEM A GREETER OR AN AMBASSADOR. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES OR ANYONE ELSE. “TO TRULY BRING HIS POINTS HOME, I UNDERTOOK A CALCULATION WITH ONE POTENTIAL CLIENT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT A LIFE WAS WORTH TO THEM, BASED ON WHAT THEY WERE SPENDING PER YEAR ON SECURITY, WHAT THEY SHOULD BE SPENDING TO DO IT RIGHT AND THEIR NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES. IT CAME TO $145 PER PERSON. “THAT BECOMES A CORE QUESTION, AND THE FACT THAT MANY LEADERS SIMPLY REFUSE TO FACE THE TRUTH IS THE PROBLEM.” I TALKED ABOUT WHAT IS THE CORE PROBLEM THAT MOST LEADERS DON'T WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE. SO, WHAT WOULD BE THE SOLUTION? WHAT A SOLUTION IS MANY DIFFERENT ANSWERS. ONE OF THE CORE ANSWERS IS WHAT IS A LIFE VALUED AS WE ALREADY DETERMINED ABOUT $145 AND THAT'S PER PERSON IN SOME CASES THE OWNERS AND OFFICIALS JUST CAN'T GET OVER THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. BUT IN TODAY'S WORLD YOU HAVE TO REALLY GET TO THE CORE OF THE SOLUTION THAT MAY INCLUDE TAKING A HARD LOOK AT YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS AND THE SAFETY OF YOUR EMPLOYEES AND OR THE PUBLIC. I STATED EARLIER WE'RE NOT A COMMODITY AND I THINK IF WE START LOOKING AT US AS A SOLUTION AND WILLING TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE TRAINING AND WITH THE DUTIES OF YOUR SECURITY TEAM MAY HELP YOU COME UP WITH A BETTER SOLUTION AND A BETTER IDEA ON HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS YOUR EMPLOYEES AND ARE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC THAT YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF. REMEMBER AT THE END OF THE DAY THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLS ON YOUR SHOULDERS TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION SO MY SUGGESTION IS TO GET TOGETHER TALK IT OUT WITH YOUR PARTNER'S CITY OFFICIALS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY CONSULTANT AND WHAT YOUR BEST OPTIONS ARE REMEMBER NOT ONE SOLUTION FITS ALL EVERY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER ONE BLOCK VERSUS ANOTHER BLOCK THE MAKEUP OF THE AREA THAT YOU'RE IN CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON YOUR DECISION ON THE SAFETY OF YOUR BUSINESS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT MUST BE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION, SO YOU DON'T BECOME ONE OF THE STATISTICS ON THE NEWS AT NIGHT.

C.E.O Robert Zablockis, SECURITY CONSULTANT