*Pages 1--37 from  MANUREV.PDF*
UNDERSTANDING AND 
RESPONDING TO 
VIOLENCE IN THE 
WORKPLACE 
Department of Health and Human Services 
PARTICIPANT'S MANUAL 
March 1997 
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"WARM UP EXERCISE" 
1 
Here is a warm up exercise to facilitate introductions and to get you thinking about workplace violence: 
READ AND THEN BRIEFLY DISCUSS WITH A SMALL GROUP: 
THANK GOODNESS ITS FRIDAY! 
You are sitting at your desk quietly winding up your work for the day. It's Friday 
afternoon and your thoughts turn to your plans for the weekend. Suddenly you 
are startled by some commotion you hear in the hall. You recognize the voices of 
your co-workers John and Sarah. Sarah is yelling at John to stop bothering her, 
that she is sick and tired of his sexual harassment. John is yelling back at her, 
telling her she's crazy and that he can't stand to be with her, much less sexually 
harass her. The screaming continues and you step out into the hall to try to 
intervene. About that time, John storms off saying to Sarah, "I hope you have a 
horrible weekend, I'll make sure that you do!" 
Sarah is shaking and runs out the door. You start thinking about what you should 
do. All you really want to do is go home and forget this event. It will cool down 
by Monday. Something bothers you, though. You know that John is an avid gun 
collector and user and that he is rumored to hit his wife. Suddenly you are 
worried about Sarah. 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 
1. Do you think you should get involved in this situation? 
2. What are you going to do now? 
3. Is John a violent person? 
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INTRODUCTION 
2 
Why do we need training? 
Violence is now a topic of concern to everyone in the workplace. It is important to understand workplace violence so it can be recognized, responded to 
appropriately, and prevented whenever possible. This training is not meant to be the only mechanism to reduce the risk of violence at your workplace. It is meant 
to be one component of a comprehensive effort at your workplace to address workplace violence. 
The primary purpose of this training is to: 
 Provide training for employees of the Department of Health 
and Human Services on managing violent or potentially violent situations. 
The goals of the training are: 
 To develop and support a work environment which will prevent 
and effectively respond to violent situations in the workplace. 
 To increase employee understanding of workplace violence in 
these basic areas: 
Defining Workplace Violence 
Identification and Recognition of Actual and Potential 
Violent Situations 
Response and Intervention 
Follow-Up to a Violent Situation 
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INTRODUCTION 
3 
TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS, WE WILL LOOK AT EIGHT TOPIC AREAS: 
Facts About Workplace Violence (Part 1) 
What is Violence (Part 2) 
Types of Violence at Work (Part 3) 
Barriers to Addressing the Problem (Part 4) 
Recognizing the Problem (Part 5) 
What To Do When You Recognize a Problem (Part 6) 
Making It Real and Applying What You Know (Part 7) 
Other Things To Consider (Part 8) 
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PART 1: FACTS ABOUT VIOLENCE 
4 
Workplace violence affects over two million workers each year. The industries with the highest rates of workplace violence include retail sales, service, finance 
and real estate. 
It seems as though there is an article every day in the newspaper or a professional journal reporting another incident of workplace violence. Be aware, however, 
that most incidents occur without receiving attention from the media. It is important for you to understand the facts about workplace violence. Here are 
some statistics to help you put this problem in perspective: 
48% SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN A VIOLENT INCIDENT AT 
THEIR COMPANIES SINCE JANUARY, 1994. 
45% OF EMPLOYEES ARE WORRIED THAT VIOLENCE WOULD 
ERUPT AT THEIR WORKPLACES. 
39% SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN VERBALLY THREATENED 
57% WERE INCIDENTS INVOLVING EMPLOYEES AT THE SAME 
LEVEL 
17% WERE INCIDENTS WHERE EMPLOYEES TARGETED THEIR 
SUPERVISORS 
60% SAID THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE 
AGGRESSOR AS ONE WITH A POTENTIAL FOR VIOLENCE (SHRM, 1993) 
Source: Society for Human Resource Management, Issues Management Program, 1996 Survey 
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PART 1: FACTS ABOUT VIOLENCE 
5 
Increasingly, the problem of violence has become a major cost to industry, particularly if the workplace does not have a clear prevention plan. The costs to 
organizations are staggering. 
Workplace violence affects other areas as well. The National Safe Workplace 
Institute has found that adverse impacts on organizations and individuals are wide-ranging and include: 
 psychological damage 
 property damage, theft and sabotage 
 productivity impediments 
 diversion of management resources 
 increased security costs 
 increased workers' compensation costs 
 increased personnel costs 
COSTS TO THE WORKPLACE 
$4.3 BILLION ANNUALLY 
AVERAGE INCIDENT COST IS $250,000 
Source: " Workplace Violence: First Line of Defense" , The Employment and Labor Law Series, 1994 
$55 MILLION IN LOST WAGES EACH YEAR 
1.8 MILLION DAYS OF WORK LOST EACH YEAR 
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics (NCJ-178199), July 1994 
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PART 2: WHAT IS VIOLENCE 
6 
There are many definitions of workplace violence. Some define it as physical types of attacks, or those involving weapons. Some define it as incidents between 
co-workers or as incidents that come into work from the outside community. 
Workplace violence can occur in a number of different ways and incorporates a wide variety of behaviors. This is the way we have defined it at the Department 
of Health and Human Services: 
"An action (verbal, written, or physical 
aggression) which in intended to control or 
cause, or is capable of causing, death or serious 
bodily injury to oneself or others, or damage to 
property. Violence includes abuse of authority, 
intimidating or harassing behavior and threats." 
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PART 3: TYPES OF VIOLENCE AT WORK 
7 
TYPES OF VIOLENCE AT WORK 
There are many different types of violent behaviors that can be exhibited at work. 
Some "obvious" types of violence include: 
BOMBINGS 
SHOOTINGS 
HITTING 
FIGHTING 
SCREAMING 
THREATS 
However, workplace violence incorporates much more. You may have experienced or witnessed verbal harassment or stalking at work. These are also 
types of workplace violence. Some "not-so-obvious" types of violence include: 
HARASSING 
STALKING 
EQUIPMENT SABOTAGE 
BUILDING SABOTAGE 
OTHER IRRATIONAL RESPONSES (THROWING, DEFECATING, ETC...) 
Have you ever witnessed any of these types of behaviors at work? 
How did that make you feel? 
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PART 3: TYPES OF VIOLENCE AT WORK 
8 
ACCORDING TO ONE AUTHOR, THERE ARE FOUR CATEGORIES OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE: 
Source: Joseph A. Kinney, Executive Director of the National Safe Workplace Institute in "Violence in the Workplace", American Society for Training and Development, July 1993 
1. EMPLOYER-DIRECTED VIOLENCE. An employee engages in violence against an employer, manager, or supervisor. 
2. DOMESTIC-RELATED VIOLENCE. A romantically disaffected partner or would-be partner strikes out against the object of his or her affections. 
3. PROPERTY-DIRECTED VIOLENCE. These are employee acts against employers designed to damage company property. 
4. COMMERCIAL-DIRECTED VIOLENCE. An employee perpetrates events, including theft of money or property, that also involve violence. 
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PART 4: BARRIERS TO ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM 
9 
Now that you have a better understanding of the scope, severity and the frequency of workplace violence... 
THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD PREVENT YOU FROM REPORTING POTENTIAL AND/ OR ACTUAL 
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE. 
Many incidents of workplace violence go unreported because employees are 
reluctant to get involved. Keeping silent about workplace violence will not 
make the problem go away. In fact, underreporting increases the risk for violence by ignoring warning signs and opportunities for early intervention and 
prevention. 
This training will help you to recognize an actual or potential violent situation, as well as educate you on what to do once you recognize a problem. 
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PART 4: BARRIERS TO ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM 
10 
In addition to not reporting incidents and threats, there are a number of other common mistakes that organizations make with regards to their handling of 
workplace violence. 
COMMON MISTAKES MADE BY ORGANIZATIONS 
 Fail to adopt/ publicize a policy 
 Fail to train supervisors and managers in implementation of 
policy 
 Use standard psychiatric or psychological services to assess 
threat of violence instead of an interdisciplinary Crisis Management Team 
 Ignore vague or indirect threats 
 Press charges in court before conducting their own inquiry or 
before speaking to employee 
 Assign responsibility to one particular function (e. g. legal, 
human resources, security, EAP). 
The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Secretary recently issued guidelines entitled, "Understanding and Responding to Violence in the 
Workplace". Copies of these guidelines are available to all employees of the Department of Health and Human Services. 
In addition, guidelines for the formation of a Crisis Management Team have also been distributed. These guidelines recommend that a variety of functional areas 
be recruited for membership on the team. 
Can you think of which areas would be appropriate for inclusion on the 
Crisis Management Team? 
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PART 5: RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM 
11 
The first step in being able to respond to workplace violence is recognizing what the problem looks like at work. What are the signs of a potential or actual violent 
situation? Workplace violence typically follows a behavior pattern. 
LEVEL ONE (EARLY WARNING SIGNS) 
The person:  refuses 
to cooperate with those in authority  spreads 
rumors and gossip to harm others  consistently 
argues with co-workers  belligerent 
toward customers/ clients  constantly 
swears at others  makes 
unwanted sexual comments 
LEVEL TWO (ESCALATION OF THE SITUATION) 
The person:  argues 
increasingly with customers, vendors, co-workers and 
management  refuses 
to obey agency policies and procedures  sabotages 
equipment and steals property for revenge  verbalizes 
wishes to hurt co-workers and/ or management  sends sexual or violent notes to co-workers and/ or management 
 sees self as victimized by management (me against them) 
LEVEL THREE (FURTHER ESCALATION, USUALLY RESULTING IN AN 
EMERGENCY RESPONSE) 
The person frequently displays intense anger resulting in:  recurrent 
suicidal threats  recurrent 
physical fights  destruction 
of property  utilization 
of weapons to harm others  commission 
of murder, rape, and/ or arson 
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (OFTEN TIMES THE INCIDENTS OCCUR 
OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE, HOWEVER, THE WARNING SIGNS MAY 
BE RECOGNIZED AT WORK) 
The victim may show signs of:  increased fear, emotional episodes, signs of physical injury and/ or other 
physical stress (i. e. excessive phone calls) 
 deterioration of work performance 
Source: S. Anthony Baron, Violence in the Workplace, 1993. 
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PART 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM 
12 
Workplace violence, and threatening and similar disruptive actions are prohibited 
because they adversely affect safety, morale and productivity. Ignoring an individual 
who exhibits these behaviors sends the message that such behaviors are acceptable. 
It is, therefore, critical to identify and report the behaviors described in this training 
at the earliest possible moment so that appropriate action can be taken. For the 
training class exercise, review "Thank Goodness Its Friday" on page 1. 
WHEN EARLY WARNING SIGNS OCCUR (LEVEL 1): 
 OBSERVE and DOCUMENT in detail the behavior immediately. 
 REPORT concerns to supervisor and other appropriate officials. 
 CONTACT HHS' local Crisis Management Team to alert members to any concerns and seek their help in assessing the situation. This means you should be 
familiar with the team members. 
 Supervisors should MEET with the employee exhibiting the questionable behaviors using the procedures noted below. 
Schedule private time and place. 
Get straight to the point. 
Ask the employee for his or her input. 
Ask the employee what should be done about the behavior. 
Ask how you, the supervisor, can help. 
Identify the performance and/ or conduct problems that are of concern. 
Set limits on what is acceptable behavior and performance. 
Establish time frames to make changes and subsequent consequences for 
not meeting the deadlines. 
Reward/ recognize the desired performance or conduct. 
Frequently at this level it is only necessary to remind the individual of 
the Department's policies. 
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PART 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM 
13 
WHEN THE SITUATION HAS ESCALATED (LEVEL 2): 
 DOCUMENT (in detail) the behavior in question immediately. 
 Immediately CONTACT the supervisor, the local Crisis Management Team, and appropriate law enforcement/ security officials in your area. 
 If necessary, SECURE you own safety and the safety of others, including contacting people who are in danger. 
 When appropriate, CONTACT other who can assist you such as employee relations, union ,employee assistance program. 
 If you ENCOUNTER an angry employee or customer: Call for assistance, if possible. 
Set ground rules/ boundaries. 
Get others away from the person. 
Avoid an audience. 
Remain calm, speaking slowly, softly and clearly. 
Ask the person to sit down; does he or she follow directions? 
Ask questions relevant to the person's complain such as: 
"What can you do to try to regain control of yourself?" 
"What can I do to help you regain control?" 
"What do you hope to gain by committing violence?" 
"Why do you believe you need to be violent to achieve that?" 
l If the person does not calm down, try matching the loudness of his or her 
voice and gradually bring you voice down to a calm level. l 
Try to direct the aggressive tendencies into another kind of behavior so 
hat the person sees he or she has choices about how to behave. 
 Supervisor should again MEET with the employee exhibiting the behaviors. 
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PART 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM 
14 
Think about how the situation with John and Sarah. It could escalate. What are 
some possible case scenarios? How will you respond? 
IN AN EMERGENCY (LEVEL 3): 
Any individual observing violent or threatening behavior which poses an immediate 
danger to persons or property is expected to: 
 REMAIN CALM. 
 First SECURE your own safety. 
 CALL 911 and other appropriate emergency contacts (such as building security and the Federal Protective Service) for that particular facility, particularly if the 
situation requires immediate aid of medical and/ or law enforcement personnel. 
 COOPERATE with law enforcement personnel when they have responded to the situation. Once law enforcement personnel are on the scene, they will 
assume control of the situation. Witnesses be prepared to provide a description 
of the violent or threatening individual, details of what was observed, and the 
exact location of the incident. 
 CONTACT members of the Crisis Management Team so they can convene as quickly as possible 
 If you are personally confronted by an angry or threatening person, FOLLOW the procedures described in Level 2. 
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PART 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM 
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The U. S. Department of Justice has prepared the following information on handling 
bomb threats. Below is a set of questions to help notice important information and 
asking the right questions if a bomb threat is received over the phone. Try to write 
down exactly what the caller says and then call law enforcement personnel 
immediately. 
----Reproduce the Section Below and Keep In An Accessible Place At Your Workstation------
HANDLING BOMB THREATS 
Obtain the following information about the threat. 
 telephone number where the call was received 
 exact time of call 
 exact words of the caller 
 answers to these questions: 
When will the bomb explode? 
Where is the bomb? 
What does it look like? 
What kind of bomb is it? 
What is your name? 
What is your address? 
Where are you calling from? 
Why did you place the bomb? 
 Make special note of the following information. 
caller's voice (calm, excited, disguised, accent, etc.) 
caller's sex 
caller's age (as determined by voice) 
voice familiar to you? 
background noise 
names of those threatened 
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PART 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM 
16 
In the event that the perpetrator of domestic violence shows up at work (or is a co-worker 
of the partner) with the intent of harming the partner and/ or any others who 
happen to be in the way or involved, follow the procedures described previously to 
respond to the immediate crisis. 
If you know someone who is being affected by domestic violence, whether or not 
the perpetrator has shown up at work, it is important to provide support and 
assistance. Not only is the person at risk for more and usually escalated violence, 
but the situation has a negative impact on the productivity of the entire workplace. 
Below are some ideas for helping the co-worker affected by 
domestic violence. 
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 
 Talk to the person about your concerns. Let her know that you are afraid for her safety and the safety of her children. Remind her that it will only get worse. Let 
her know that you will assist her in locating resources and developing a safety 
plan. 
 Contact the Employee Assistance Program if you need more information. 
 Recommend that she call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for more information about domestic violence or to help her find local resources. The 
number is 800-799-SAFE (7233) or TDD 800-787-3224. Also recommend that 
she contact the HHS Employee Assistance Program where she can also get help 
in understanding and responding to the problem. 
 Recommend that workplace safety plan be developed in case an incident occurs at the workplace. Think about the safety of the individual as well as everyone 
around her. Do not be a hero if the perpetrator shows up at work. Follow the 
safety plan and go for help. 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
17 
EXERCISES AND CASE STUDIES 
This section contains one exercise and a number of case studies that will 
encourage you to utilize the information learned in the training and to think about 
the best ways to handle the issue of violence in the workplace. 
Instructions for this section: 
Your trainer will ask you to work in small groups. For these exercises, you 
should follow the steps below. 
1. Read the assigned case studies. 
2. Discuss "Things to Think About" and formulate responses. 
3. Have someone in your group take notes and present your 
responses to the larger group. 
4. Ask you trainer for assistance when needed. 
F Turn to page 27 when you have completed this section. 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
18 
CASE 1: HELPING MARY 
Mary is a co-worker in your agency. She has been a valuable employee to your 
group and one of the most respected experts in her field. You notice lately, 
though, that she is more reserved and is absent quite a bit. You hear her quietly 
crying or having a fight with someone on the phone frequently. She is a bit jumpy 
while she is at work, always looking over her shoulder when she goes 
somewhere. 
You ask her to lunch one day and voice your concern. Mary says she is having 
some problems at home but that it is nothing to worry about; she can handle it 
herself. Several weeks later you notice that Mary's fear has escalated. She rarely 
leaves the building. When she must leave, she moves quickly, always covering 
her face. She works erratic hours. Her fear is really beginning to affect everyone 
at work. You are all concerned for her but don't know what is going on. You 
begin to wonder if there is a real danger, both to Mary and to the rest of you who 
work with her. 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 
1. Do you believe this is a situation that requires further action on your 
part? Why or why not? 
2. What are the appropriate interventions in this situation? Think about 
those things that you and the other co-workers can do, what Mary's 
supervisor can do, what security staff can do, and what any other 
agency staff can do. 
3. Are there other protections that should be considered for Mary and her co-workers? 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
19 
CASE 2: THE UNHAPPY CUSTOMER 
Your job in this Department is to assist recipients of substance abuse grants. It 
involves working with customers face-to-face each day. Since there are many 
recipients of these grants, it is impossible to know all of them personally. Due to 
recent budget cuts, some of the grantees have been eliminated. 
Some of the discontinued recipients have been calling you. They are extremely 
upset and have even screamed at you. One even threatened to get even since you 
ruined his life. You ignore these calls and threats, attributing the behavior to the 
situation of losing their livelihoods. In fact, you actually feel sorry for them and 
decide you would also be upset if you lost your program. 
One morning, you are sitting in your office and a man bursts in and starts waving 
a gun at you. You do not recognize him. He starts screaming, "It's time to get 
even and don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about!" 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 
1. Detail what you would do in this situation. 
2. Could this situation have been prevented? If so, what are some of the 
preventative actions you and your Department could have taken? 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
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CASE 3: THE BURNT OUT ADMINISTRATOR 
In the last few months, your agency has undergone a reorganization. You are the 
computer network administrator and have been working very hard to reconfigure 
everyones' computers. You have been putting in a lot of hours at night so you 
cause as little disruption as possible. You are starting to feel extremely stressed. 
Your attitude has been bad and you don't particularly like coming to work. You 
tell yourself that this will end soon, after the new system is put in place. 
One morning, after a particularly long night, you come in to work and sit down to 
read your e-mail messages. There is a message from a very angry employee 
whose computer has crashed and she needs your help immediately. You walk 
around to her space and the woman starts to verbally attack you. 
She screams, "YOU ARE SO STUPID! ONLY STUPID PEOPLE WOULD 
MESS UP A COMPUTER THE WAY YOU DID. WHY DON'T YOU GET A 
JOB THAT YOU CAN HANDLE? DON'T YOU FEEL ASHAMED FOR 
WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME?" 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 
1. What are your thoughts about this woman right now? 
2. Based on these thoughts, how do you think you will respond to her? 
3. What are some effective thoughts that would let you see this situation in 
a different light? 
4. What are some things you can do to handle the stress you are feeling at 
work lately? 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
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CASE 4: THE STRANGE VISITOR 
In the middle of the day, you leave your office to go the restroom. You notice 
that the back emergency door has been propped open to let in the cool breeze. 
Once you are in the restroom you notice a woman acting very strange. She is 
talking to herself and seems to be agitated. You have never seen her before and 
she does not have an ID badge on. When you leave the restroom, she follows 
you to your office. She states she is a job applicant but no one will talk to her 
and she doesn't know where to go. Her voice starts to get more frantic. 
You offer to take her to the personnel office but she refuses to cooperate and 
becomes belligerent. She begins to scream about how the government is out to 
get her. It becomes clear that this woman is going to be a problem. You wonder 
how she ever got past the guard. 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 
1. Now that this situation has escalated, what are the best ways to 
intervene? 
2. Would you be concerned about the physical security precautions in your 
building? Why or why not? If you are concerned, what would you do to 
address these concerns? 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
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CASE 5: THE SUSPICIOUS CALLER 
You are a health care worker at the agency's clinic in Wotakki. As you are filling 
out your patient charts one evening, you hear the phone ring at the nurse's station 
and pick it up. The caller's voice is muffled, as if he had a handkerchief over the 
receiver. You also think you hear traffic in the background so it makes it even 
harder to hear. He starts talking very quickly and says, "I DON'T LIKE WHAT 
YOU ARE DOING AT THAT CLINIC AND I WANT IT TO STOP. I HAVE 
A BOMB PLANTED IN THE BUILDING AND PLAN TO SET IT OFF VERY 
SOON. YOU WILL BE SORRY NOW FOR WHAT YOU DID!" He hangs up 
the phone. 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 
1. What would you do now? 
2. Based on this conversation, what information would you provide to law 
enforcement personnel? 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
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CASE 6: ANOTHER VISIT WITH JOHN 
Monday morning 
This morning you receive an anonymous note from a female employee in your 
Department who has accused John of sexual harassment. The note states that he 
has placed several calls to this employee's home and asked her out on dates. The 
employee has refused and has asked John to stop calling her. The employee 
complaint was anonymous, but because you only have 25 female employees in 
your area, you have been able to narrow it down to five possibilities, based upon 
facts you received in the complaint. The complaint also alleges that while the 
female employee was standing at the copy machine, John rubbed up against her 
and made a comment about being physically attracted to her. 
John is a 56 year old employee who has worked for the Government for 28 
years. While John has not been a stellar employee, his performance has been 
adequate and he has received regular pay increases consistent with his longevity. 
During the last five years, John has applied for 2 promotions and has been turned 
down both times. On those 2 occasions, he was disappointed that he was not 
chosen and made negative comments to his co-workers about affirmative action. 
However, it did not seem to have a significant impact on his work. 
About six months ago, John and his wife of thirty years separated. They have 
three grown children, none of whom live in this area. While John didn't really 
talk about his separation and the details, there were some quiet rumors that John 
was abusing his wife. In addition, there have been many rumors over the years 
that John has an alcohol problem. However, since he has a very good attendance 
record and his performance is adequate, his supervisors decided to respect his 
privacy and not look into the rumors. 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
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John has only a few friends at work. In his spare time, he is an avid hunter and 
competitive pistol shooter. In fact, he has won several national awards in 
competitions sponsored by the NRA. To your knowledge, he has never brought a 
firearm into the workplace. 
Next day 8: 00 am 
You read the complaint carefully again several times after not having slept well 
all night. You decide to contact the human resources office and speak to a 
special investigator who regularly conducts sexual harassment investigations. 
Since you do not know the identity of the complainant, it is impossible for you to 
conduct any interviews of that person. The human resources investigator calls 
John to come join you for a discussion. 
9: 00 am 
John arrives and you and the investigator inform him that someone has 
complained about his behavior. You ask him if he will cooperate with the 
investigation. John expresses outrage that his reputation is being tarnished and 
demands to know the identity of the accuser. You tell him the complaint was 
anonymous, but he does not believe you. He insists that he is a good loyal 
employee with many years of services who is being unfairly maligned by some 
"bitch." This language and this type of behavior are fairly unusual for John. 
F Case 6 continued on next page. 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 
1. What are you going to do now? 
2. Do you want to change any plans you made at the beginning of this 
training? 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
25 
Toward the end of the meeting with John, he becomes belligerent and says, "You 
have some nerve; I have worked here for 28 years and done a damn good job. 
Now, you have accused me of sexual harassment. This is outrageous." Then his 
face becomes beet red and he says, "I'll show all of you; nobody messes with me. 
I'm going to teach all of you a lesson you'll 
never forget!" With that, John bolts out of the meeting, walks out and grabs his 
coat, looks back and says, "I'll be back later, after I've taken care of a few 
things." 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: 
1. What would you do now? 
2. Would you involve others at this point? What are the consequences if 
you do? 
3. Do you think John has made a threat? 
4. Do you think a request for a medical exam is appropriate at this time? 
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PART 7: MAKING IT REAL AND APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW 
26 
CASE 7: THE BICKERING CO-WORKERS 
You are the supervisor of a large group of employees. Over that last few 
months, you notice that two of you employees, Bob and Ed have not been getting 
along. They have been calling each other names and have been raising their 
voices at each other. You have ignored this up until now thinking, "Boys will be 
boys." But the situation has escalated now and you are afraid one of them will 
harm the other. Co-workers are starting to complain that they are afraid and that 
they can't concentrate with the disruptions. When you try to sit them down and 
talk to them, they are belligerent and tell you to stay out of the situation. They 
tell you this has nothing to do with work and they will handle it on their own. 
They get up and leave your office. 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 
1. Do you think this is a violent situation? Why or why not? 
2. What would you do at this point? 
3. Do you think disciplinary action is warranted? If so, identify the 
behavior or conduct that is inappropriate. What is your recommended 
action? 
4. Would you consider terminating these employees if the behavior did not 
stop? If so, what precautions would you take to assure the safety of 
everyone involved? 
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PART 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
27 
AFTER THE FACT 
No matter how effective HHS' policies and plans are in detecting and 
preventing incidents, there are no guarantees against workplace violence. 
When violent incidents occur, it is essential that the response be timely, 
appropriate to the situation and include proper recognition that the employees 
have been traumatized and their aftermath as just begun. 
HOW TRAUMAS AFFECT EMPLOYEES 
1. Stage One: This is the "shock" stage where the employee 
experiences emotional reactions characterized by shock, disbelief, 
denial or numbness. Physically, the employee experiences shock or 
fight or flight survival reactions in which the heart rate increases, 
perceptual senses become heightened or distorted, and adrenaline 
levels increase to meet a real or perceived threat. 
2. Stage Two: This is the "impact" stage where the employee may feel 
a variety of intense emotions including anger, rage, terror, grief, 
sorrow, confusion, helplessness, guilt, depression or withdrawal. 
This stage may last a few days, a few weeks, or a few months. 
3. Stage Three: This is the "reconciliation stage" in which the 
employee tries to make sense out of the event, understand its impact, 
and, through trial and error, reach closure on the event so it does not 
interfere with the ability to function and grow. 
Source: "Helping the Employee Recover from the Trauma of Workplace Violence", Kenneth Wolf 
et al, EAP Digest, March/ April 1994. 
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PART 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
28 
THE CRITICAL INCIDENT DEBRIEFING PROCESS 
Jeffrey Mitchell, University of Maryland, developed a protocol for gathering 
information and responding to the immediate emotional needs of employees who 
have been traumatized. It is called the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) 
process. In HHS, this process will be coordinated by the Crisis Management Team. 
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing 
 occurs within the first 24 to 72 hours after a violent event; 
 is conducted by a mental health professional with CISD training; and 
 involves a number of phases (lengths of time vary for each person). These phases are: 
 introductory: normalize event; support 
 fact phase: let people talk about what happened (heard, saw, smelled, etc.) 
 thought phase: move from cognitive experience to emotional 
 reaction phase: feeling/ emotional state 
 symptoms phase: determining the signals of life changes such as physical complaints and behavioral changes 
 teaching phase: cognitive learning about symptoms; normalizing experiences and reactions 
 re-entry phase: plan of action; follow-up; referral to additional information sources and long-term counseling, if necessary. 
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PART 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
29 
CONSIDERATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT 
Supervisors and managers play a critical role in responding to the immediate and 
long-term needs of employees. The following suggestions are provided for 
supervisory staff in handling employees after a violent event. 
HELPING YOURSELF 
There are a number of things employees can do to help themselves get through a 
traumatic event. In addition to availing themselves of assistance offered by the 
Department, these ideas may help with the management of physical and emotional 
effects. 
 Be sensitive to the "invisible" or emotional injuries described earlier. 
 Observe the ripple effect of these events as the impact usually grows. 
 Be sure the employee is not always isolated. 
 Control media access to employees. 
 Do not joke about the event. 
 Do not trivialize the event, i. e. "It could have been worse". 
 Suggest help through the EAP or others who intervene in traumatic situations if symptoms and job performance changes do not normalize. 
 Eat balanced meals. Keep stimulants to a minimum and do not use alcohol and drugs to cope. 
 Exercise regularly, especially within the first 24 hours of the incident. 
 Get plenty of sleep. 
 Talk about the incident with social support systems. 
 Maintain a manageable schedule. 
 Avoid boredom. 
 Seek outside help when needed. 
 Plan for your future safety. 
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PART 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
30 
PREVENTION 
One of the major components of a workplace violence strategy is prevention. The 
following is a list of measures intended to reduce or prevent these types of situations. 
1. POLICY It is important that all employees, including managers and 
supervisors, understand the policy and modify behaviors that are prohibited. 
2. WORK ENVIRONMENT Treat co-workers with respect and work to 
minimize negative feelings such as isolation, resentment and hostility among 
employees. 
3. EMPLOYMENT SCREENING Carefully and thoroughly screen pre-employment 
references to avoid hiring potentially dangerous individuals. 
4. SECURITY Use a variety of security measures to help ensure safety. 
5. WEAPONS Possession or use of firearms and other dangerous weapons 
on the property of all HHS facilities is illegal. (Certain exceptions apply 18 
U. S. C. Section 930( c).) Any HHS employee who violates prohibitions on 
possession of a weapon in HHS facilities will be prosecuted and/ or 
appropriately disciplined. 
6. EDUCATION Awareness and tactical training for all employees, 
including supervisors and managers, is a crucial step towards reducing or 
preventing workplace violence. In addition, training on conflict resolution 
and stress management offers techniques and skills to deal effectively with 
conflict and reduce stress. 
7. EARLY INTERVENTION Early intervention is vital and helps to 
prevent the situation from escalating to violence. 
EXERCISE FOR PUTTING YOUR ENERGY TO WORK 
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PART 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
31 
The best way to handle violence in the workplace is to prevent it from occurring. 
Take a few minutes to think about how you can contribute to the prevention of 
workplace violence. List three things you can do now and describe any help you 
will need in carrying out these ideas: 
1. 
2. 
3. 
We Hope You Found This Training Useful ! 
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RESOURCE GUIDE 
32 
BELOW ARE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. 
HHS Workplace Violence Intervention and Prevention Group (Ad Hoc; Policy Oversight) 
Contact: ASMB, Office of Human Resources 
Telephone: (202) 690-8229 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 
4676 Columbia Parkway 
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998 
(800) 356-4674 
NIOSH provides an array of training material, including videos, and search services. The toll-free 
number is open from 9: 00 a. m. -4: 00 p. m. EST. Upon request, information sheets can be faxed. 
A 3-packet guide, "Homicide in the Workplace" is also available. 
National Institutes of Health 
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C02 
Rockville, MD 20857 
(301) 496-4513 
In addition to other literature, NIMH publishes two free publications on depression (which has 
been found to be a factor in workplace violence), "What To Do If An Employee Is Depressed" and 
"Managing Depression in the Workplace." 
National Domestic Violence Hotline 
(800) 799-SAFE or (800) 787-3224 (TDD) 
U. S. Public Health Service 
Office on Women's Health 
200 Independence Avenue, S. W., Room 730B 
Washington, DC 20201 
(202) 690-7650 
Provides information, brochures, fact sheets, etc. on all matters related to women's health including 
violence against women. 
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IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS OF LOCAL RESOURCES 
(COMPLETE THIS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL) 
33 
Keep this posted at your workstation 
Your Supervisor: 
Building Security: 
Building Health Unit: 
Human Resource Staff: 
Fire Department: 
Employee Assistance Program: 
Crisis Management Team: 
Local Law Enforcement: 
National Domestic Hotline: 800-799-SAFE or 
800-787-3224 (TDD) 
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LEFT BLANK 
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35 
VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE 
Participant Feedback 
Agency:_____________________________________________________ 
Position:_____________________________________________________ 
Date:________________________________________________________ 
Thank you for participating in this training workshop. Please take a moment to 
complete the following evaluation form. Your feedback and comments will be 
helpful for future training of Federal employees. 
PLEASE CIRCLE THE NUMBER THAT BEST REPRESENTS YOUR 
RESPONSE TO THE STATEMENT. 
Agree Disagree 
1. The workshop adequately addressed 1 2 3 4 5 
its stated goals. 
2. I found this workshop beneficial and useful. 1 2 3 4 5 
3. The manual and the overheads were 1 2 3 4 5 
easy to follow. 
4. The time allotted for this training was 1 2 3 4 5 
appropriate. 
5. The trainer was effective. 1 2 3 4 5 
6. Overall score for this training. 1 2 3 4 5 
The thing I liked best about this training is:____________________________ 
The thing I liked least about this training is:____________________________ 
Additional comments:_____________________________________________ 
Thanks ! 
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