Solving the Workplace Violence Prevention Puzzle through Effective Training
With more than two million incidents of workplace violence reported annually, workplace violence prevention and response training has become one of the most pressing issues organizations face today. As recently as February 2019, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) released a report showing that 1 in 7 employees do not feel safe at work.
But knowing how to go about tackling this complex issue can be puzzling to many organizations. The answer lies in conducting training that makes people mindful, not fearful. This post will help you know what to look for in workplace violence training content while illustrating the powerful difference effective training can make.
The Components of Effective Workplace Violence Prevention Training
- Awareness - Educate your employees on what workplace violence is, and address any misconceptions they may have.
- Recognition - Enable your people to spot changes in others that might signal potential trouble, and report it to management.
- Prepared Employees - Teach people the proper response options to extreme violence that are based on proven survival methodologies.
- Action - Empower and prime your employees and managers to take preventative action, when it is needed and to stay safe.
- An Empathic Culture - Nurture a culture of dignity and respect where colleagues and co-workers look out for one another.
The Impact of Effective Workplace Violence Prevention Training
1. Prevention
Trained Employees (Training empowers a bias toward action.)
- “If you see something, say something” becomes the mindset
- Concerning behaviors are recognized and action taken
- Team members are committed to “looking out for each other”
Untrained Employees (Lack of knowledge = Lack of Awareness = Lack of Prevention.)
- Warning signs are missed all together
- Concerning behaviors are witnessed but not recognized
- Early prevention opportunities are missed
2. Emergency Response
Trained Employees (People know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.)
- Planned responses and proactive actions are taken on behalf of self and others
- People have “Mental Permission” to take action, e.g., or
- Survival mindset and learned optimism are instilled
Untrained Employees (No plan leads to the wrong plan.)
- Independent, impulsive actions can be dangerous to self and others
- Risky, self-protection measures are often less effective than team approach
- Panic, sense of helplessness can overwhelm and paralyze
3. Post Emergency
Trained Employees (Post-event recovery is significantly enhanced.)
- Individuals are better able to bounce back -- experience less distress
- Organizational damage to brand and reputation is minimized
- Organization is confident in having met its moral obligation to employees and community
Untrained Employees (Post-event recovery can be long and painful.)
- Post-incident recovery time increases for individuals
- Damage to brand and reputation for organization is incurred
- Organization has missed the opportunity to meet its moral obligation to “duty of care”
A Proven Effective Workplace Violence Prevention Training Solution
Getting Real About Workplace Violence is turnkey training that focuses on all the areas list above. Produced by Regulus Media and featuring the expertise of security expert Jim Sporleder, this program meets all ANSI and ASIS/SHRM specified training criteria. It is known for its ability to effectively teach all aspects of workplace violence awareness, recognition, and response and to help inspire lasting behavior and culture change.
Because this can be a daunting topic to tackle, we also encourage you to read these related posts:
Workplace Violence Training: HR/L&D and Safety/Security Partnering for Results
