UNDERSTANDING AND 
RESPONDING TO 
VIOLENCE IN THE 
WORKPLACE 


Department of Health and Human Services 


TRAINER'S GUIDE 
March 1997 
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INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
1 
Purpose: 
This training program has been developed in response to the growing number of 
workplace violence incidents in the United States. In a memorandum issued to all 
employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in January of 
1996, Secretary Shalala explained that to address the issue of workplace violence in 
HHS, a project team was formed to develop comprehensive guidelines to help the 
Department respond to and prevent violence in the workplace. This team was also 
responsible for developing this training program. 


Format: 
We have tried to create a format that is easy for you, the trainer, to follow. This 
guide is to be used in conjunction with the Participant's Manual. The Trainer's 
Guide has additional explanations and answers in order to help you facilitate a 
training class. The Participant's Manual has additional narrative text to enhance the 
flow of the document. It is expected that participants will keep their manuals after 
training is completed. 


This Trainer's Guide has been organized as follows: 


1. Training instructions and EVEN numbered pages are on 
the LEFT side of the guide. 


2. Corresponding overheads, case studies and ODD 
numbered pages are on the RIGHT side of the guide. 
3
INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
2 
Symbols: 
You will notice that there are various symbols in the left margin of the training 
instructions. These symbols are meant to provide you with a quick visual 
instruction cue. The key for the symbols is noted below: 


? Ask the participants 
3 Display and read overhead 
F Instruct participants to turn the page 
& Allow participants time to read the section 
! Highlight text on visual overhead 
 Explain or discuss 


! Emphasize 
` Use flip chart 


Equipment and Class Size: 
This training has been designed for a classroom format. It is suggested that no more 
than 25 employees participate in each class. 


This training requires the following equipment: 
 Overhead projector 
 Highlight markers 
 Pencils/ pens for participants 
 Tape 
 Screen 
 Flip chart/ colored markers 
4
INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
4 
Preparation: 
A crucial component to this training program is the use of transparent overheads. 
You have received copies of the overheads in your training package. You will need 
to copy the enclosed overheads onto transparencies in order to use them with 
an overhead projector. 


In addition, you will need to distribute the Participant's Manual, a copy of which is 
included in your training package. Reproduce copies for all participants before the 
training begins. 


Be sure to reserve conference room space that is sufficient for your class size. 


This training is meant to be interactive. Therefore, it is imperative that anyone 
facilitating this training be familiar with the information in both the Trainer's Guide 
and the Participant's Manual. Carefully read through both documents prior to the 
actual training. 


This curriculum contains a tremendous amount of information with close time 
frames. It is the responsibility of the trainer to monitor the time and to direct the 
group through the training within the time allotted for each section. Avoid lengthy 
conversation. If the participants have any special questions, issues or problems that 
were not addressed due to time constraints, encourage them to speak to you 
afterwards. 


Things to Keep in Mind: 
 Pace is important. Practice and time yourself. 
 Always do a "dry run" of the presentation ahead of time. 
 Always arrive early enough to allow sufficient time for classroom set-up. There is always the possibility that you will experience some problems 


prior to the start of training. 
Good Luck! 
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5 
While participants are entering the room: 
3 1. DISPLAY Overhead #1: Violence in the Workplace. 
2. GREET Participants. 
When it is time to begin training: 
1. INTRODUCE yourself and state your role or position with the Department of Health and Human Services. 


2. INFORM the group that you are about to begin a training workshop on Workplace Violence. 
3. STATE that the training will last approximately two hours. 
4. EXPLAIN that in the FIRST HOUR, you will be reviewing some basic information regarding workplace violence. In the SECOND HOUR, 
the group will be applying this information to case studies. 
5. ADVISE the participants that there will be no breaks and, if necessary, they should excuse themselves from the room. 


6. STATE that you will be using an overhead projector and SUGGEST that anyone who cannot clearly see the screen move to another seat. 
7. STATE that this training program is meant to be interactive. 
8. ENCOURAGE participant questions and comments. 


? 9. ASK if anyone has any questions before you begin. 


F F Instruct participants to turn to page 1. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
6 
VIOLENCE IN THE 
WORKPLACE 


Department of Health and Human Services 


OVERHEAD #1 
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7 
WARM UP EXERCISE 
Have the participants do this warm up exercise to facilitate introductions and to get them thinking about workplace violence. Instruct the class to break up into small 
groups. 


& & 1. ASK participants to READ "Thank Goodness Its Friday!" on page 1 of the Participant's Manual (and on the opposite page in your guide) 
and briefly discuss the questions in Things to Think About in small 
groups. 


 2. DISCUSS the exercise with the entire group. Ask participants to 
share their answers. Do not discourage any responses. Include the 
responses noted below if they are not mentioned in the discussion. 


1. Always take responsibility for intervening in situations that 
are potentially violent. 
This is obviously a volatile, and therefore potentially violent, 
event. 


2. Document (in detail) the behavior as soon as it happens. 
Report your concerns to a supervisor (either yours or 
John/ Sarah's). 
Contact the local Crisis Management Team to alert members 
to any concerns and seek their help in assessing the situation. 


3. You don't know if John is a violent person but he is behaving 
a manner that indicates there is potential for violence. 
Any person can be violent under the right circumstances. 
More information about John would help assess the situation. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 2. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
8 
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 and 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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9 
1. REVIEW the primary purpose and the goals of this training on page 2 of the Participant's Manual (and below) with the group. 
F Instruct participants to turn to page 3. 
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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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
10 
THIS PAGE WAS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
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11 
INTRODUCTION (continued) 
3 1. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #2: Topic Areas to be Addressed. 


 2. EXPLAIN that the training will address each of these topic areas. 
 3. EXPLAIN that Part 7 includes case studies and the exercises 
which are meant to be interactive. 


? 4. ASK if there are any questions. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 4. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
12 
The training will focus on 
EIGHT topic areas: 


n Facts About Workplace Violence 
n What is Violence 
n Types of Violence at Work 
n Barriers to Addressing the Problem 
n Recognizing the Problem 
n What to do When You Recognize a Problem 
n Making It Real and Applying What You Know 
n Other Things to Consider 


OVERHEAD #2 
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13 
Part 1: FACTS ABOUT WORKPLACE VIOLENCE (5 minutes) 
3 1. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #3: Acts of Violence in the Workplace. 


 2. EXPLAIN that violence in the workplace is a serious and growing 
threat and affects over one million workers each year. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 


homicide is now the SECOND highest work-related cause of death in the United States (1996). The victims of workplace violence not only 
include those killed or injured, but also the victims' families, friends and co-workers. 


3 3. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #4: Workplace Violence. 
 4. EXPLAIN that these statistics reflect a survey of Human Resource 
Professionals. Note that 60% said they would not have been able to identify the aggressor as one with a potential for violence. 


! 5. EMPHASIZE THAT EMPLOYEE REACTIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON ACTUAL BEHAVIOR AND NOT ON WHAT ONE 
BELIEVES IS THE PROFILE OF A PERSON*. 
*Explain that this will be discussed further in a later section. 


? 6. ASK if there are any questions. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 5. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
14 
ACTS OF VIOLENCE 
IN THE 
WORKPLACE 


n 48% OF EMPLOYEES SAID THAT 
THERE HAD BEEN A VIOLENT 
INCIDENT AT THEIR COMPANIES 
SINCE JANUARY, 1994. 


n 45% OF EMPLOYEES ARE WORRIED 
THAT VIOLENCE WOULD ERUPT AT 
THEIR WORKPLACES. 


Source: Society for Human Resource Management, 
Issues Management Program, 1996 Survey 


OVERHEAD #3 


WORKPLACE 
VIOLENCE 


n 39% OF EMPLOYEES SAID THAT THEY HAD 
BEEN VERBALLY THREATENED IN THE LAST 
YEAR 


n 57% WERE INCIDENTS INVOLVING 
EMPLOYEES AT THE SAME LEVEL. 


n 17% WERE INCIDENTS WHERE AN EMPLOYEE 
TARGETED HIS/ HER SUPERVISOR. 


n 60% SAID THAT 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 


OVERHEAD #4 
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15 
Continuation of Part 1: FACTS ABOUT WORKPLACE VIOLENCE 
3 1. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #5: Costs to the Workplace Are Rising. 


 2. DISCUSS the other areas, in addition to cost, that are affected by 
workplace violence. For example, workplace violence can cause: 


 psychological damage; 
 productivity impediments; 
 diversion of management resources; and/ or 
 increased costs. 


? 3. ASK the participants to give examples of the four areas noted above in #2. 


` 4. WRITE their responses on the Flip Chart. Include any of the 
following examples which were not mentioned. 


 Examples of psychological damage include: substance abuse, 
trauma, mental health services, survivor guilt, suicide. 


 Examples of productivity impediments include: increased turnover, 
absenteeism, lower morale. 


 Examples of diversion of management resources include: response 
to crisis, costly litigation. 


 Examples of increased costs include: security costs, workers' 
compensation costs, personnel costs (recruitment, training, etc...). 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 6. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
16 
COSTS TO THE 
WORKPLACE ARE 
RISING 


$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 


OVERHEAD #5 
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17 
Part 2: WHAT IS VIOLENCE? (5 minutes) 
? 1. ASK the participants to think about the range of behaviors included in a definition of workplace violence. 


3 2. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #6: HHS Definition of Workplace Violence. 
? 3. ASK the group to identify any surprising or key phrases in this definition. 
! 4. HIGHLIGHT their responses on the overhead with a marker. 
? 5. ASK participants to explain their responses. Ask the group if this definition defines the following behaviors as workplace violence: 


 sending threatening email. 
 slamming your hands on desk during an argument with a co-worker. 


These behaviors are considered violent! 
? 6. ASK if any of the participants have ever witnessed violent behavior at their work and ask them to describe the behavior. 


` 7. Have the participants call out their responses and write them on the 
Flip Chart. Keep the responses displayed in order to compare them with Overheads #7 and #8 in part 3. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 7. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
18 
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 
AND HUMAN SERVICES' 
DEFINITION OF WORKPLACE 
VIOLENCE 


"AN ACTION (VERBAL, WRITTEN, OR PHYSICAL AGGRESSION) WHICH IS 
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" 


OVERHEAD #6 
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Part 3: TYPES OF VIOLENCE (5 minutes) 
The Flip Chart responses from the previous section should still be displayed. 


3 1. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #7: Obvious Types of Violence. Compare with Flip Chart. 


3 2. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #8: Not-so-Obvious Types of Violence. Compare with Flip Chart 
? 5. ASK the participants if they can identify any other types of violent behaviors. Add their responses to the Flip Chart. 
? 6. ASK if any of the participants have ever witnessed these types of behaviors at work and, if yes, ask how that made them feel. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 8. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
20 
OBVIOUS TYPES OF 
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE 


 BOMBINGS BOMBINGS 
 SHOOTINGS SHOOTINGS 
 HITTING HITTING 
 FIGHTING FIGHTING 
 SCREAMING SCREAMING 
 THREATS THREATS 


OVERHEAD #7 


NOT-SO-OBVIOUS TYPES 
OF WORKPLACE 
VIOLENCE 


  HARASSING HARASSING 


  STALKING STALKING 
  EQUIPMENT SABOTAGE EQUIPMENT SABOTAGE 
  BUILDING SABOTAGE BUILDING SABOTAGE 
  OTHER IRRATIONAL OTHER IRRATIONAL 
RESPONSES (THROWING, RESPONSES (THROWING, 
DEFECATING, ETC.) DEFECATING, ETC.) 


OVERHEAD #8 
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21 
Continuation of Part 3: TYPES OF VIOLENCE AT WORK 
1. REVIEW the Four Categories of Violence on page 8 of the Participant's Manual and on the opposite page of this guide. 


! 2. EMPHASIZE that #2 on page 8 notes Domestic Violence. 
 3. EXPLAIN that the October 1996 issue of Workplace Violence 
Prevention Reporter notes that 27% of workplace violence incidents were a result of domestic problems. 


 4. EXPLAIN that Part 6 will describe intervention procedures for 
domestic violence. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 9. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
22 
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. A person 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 acts against employers designed to damage company property. 
4. COMMERCIAL-DIRECTED VIOLENCE. A person perpetrates events, including theft of money or property, that also involve violence. 
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Part 4: BARRIERS TO ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM (10 minutes) 
? 1. ASK the participants to think about what would prevent them from reporting potential and/ or actual workplace violence. 


` 2. WRITE at least four responses on the flip chart. If you have time for 
discussion, ask the participants the following questions: 


 Do you know what and when to report? 
 Do you have a clear understanding of the process? 
 Do you think you will be taken seriously? 
 What are some of the consequences of reporting? How will it 
affect you, your career, and the perpetrator? 


 Do you think you will cause shame and embarrassment to 
yourself, to the perpetrator or to your place of employment? 


 Do you trust the system to handle the matter in an effective 
and efficient manner? 


3 3. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #9: Reasons for Underreporting. 


! 4. EMPHASIZE that these are important issues to think about now because workplace violence should be addressed immediately and 
these concerns may cause delays. 


F F Instruct participants to turn to page 10. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
24 
REASONS FOR 
UNDERREPORTING 


Not Clear What and When to Report 
No Clear Process 
Afraid of Not Being Taken Seriously 
Afraid of Negative Consequences 
Shame and Embarrassment 
No Trust in System 


Source: Crisis Management Group, Inc., 1995 


OVERHEAD #9 
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25 
Continuation of Part 4: BARRIERS TO ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM 
3 1. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #10: Common Mistakes Made By Organizations. The third bullet emphasizes the importance 
of utilizing input from different areas within the workplace. 


? 2. ASK the participants if any of their workplaces have made these mistakes in the past. If any of the participants answer yes, encourage 
them to share the content of this training with their co-workers and administrators. 


 3. EXPLAIN that the guidelines created for the Department of Health 
and Human Services recommend the formation of a Crisis Management Team. The guidelines suggest that certain functional 


areas be recruited for membership on the team. 


? 4. Ask the participants which areas they think are appropriate for inclusion on a Crisis Management Team. Name any of the areas 
listed below which were not mentioned. 
 building security 
 medical staff 
 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 
 union (s) 
 employee/ labor relations 
 public affairs 
 General Counsel 
 violence experts such as assessment professionals 
 senior management 
 health unit 
 law enforcement personnel 
 safety office or safety committee member 


F F Instruct participants to turn to page 11. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
26 
COMMON MISTAKES MADE 
BY ORGANIZATIONS 


n Fail to adopt/ publicize policy 
n Fail to train supervisors and managers in 
implementation of policy 


n Use standard psychiatric or psychological 
services to assess employee threat of violence instead of an interdisciplinary 


Crisis Management Team 


n Ignore vague or indirect threats 
n Press charges in court before conducting 
their own inquiry or speaking to employee 


n Assign responsibility to one particular 
function (e. g. legal, HR, security, EAP) 


OVERHEAD #10 
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Part 5: RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM (15 minutes) 
! 1. EMPHASIZE that the first step in being able to respond to these situations is to recognize what the problem looks like at work. 
Frequently, performance problems may be warning signs of potential trouble. 


? 2. ASK the group to consider the performance indicators or warning signs of a potential or actual violent situation. Have them call out a list of 
warning signs. 
` 3. WRITE their responses on the Flip Chart. Compare the responses with 
the list of performance indicators below. Add any that were not mentioned. Examples of performance indicators are: 


 attendance problems 
 impact on supervisor's/ manager's time 
 decreased productivity 
 inconsistent work patterns 
 concentration problems 
 safety issues 
 poor health and hygiene 
 unusual/ changed behavior 
 evidence of possible drug or alcohol use/ abuse 
 evidence of serious stress in the employee's personal life 
 continual excuses/ blame 
 depression 


! 3. EMPHASIZE that it is important to determine if there is a pattern and not merely a single isolated indicator. THE PRESENCE OF ANY 
OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN A VIOLENT ACT WILL OCCUR. 


Participants should not turn the page. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
28 
THIS PAGE WAS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
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29 
Continuation of Part 5: RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM 
 1. EXPLAIN that the behaviors involved in workplace violence 
typically follow a pattern and, over time, escalate in severity. 


3 2. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #11: Levels of Violence, Level One. 


3 3. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #12: Levels of Violence, Level Two. 
3 4. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #13: Levels of Violence, Level Three. 
3 5. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #14: Levels of Violence, Domestic Violence. 
! 6. EMPHASIZE that workplace violence may not follow these levels. 
? 7. ASK the group if anyone knows of a case that did not follow this pattern or fell into more than one level at the same time. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 12. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
30 
LEVELS OF VIOLENCE 
LEVEL ONE (Early Warning Signs) 


The person: 
n refuses to cooperate with those in 
authority 


n spreads rumors and gossip to harm 
others 


n consistently argues with 
employees/ clients 


n belligerent toward customers/ 
clients/ employees 


n constantly swears at others 
n makes unwanted sexual comments 


OVERHEAD #11 
LEVELS OF VIOLENCE 
LEVEL TWO (Escalation of the Situation) 


The person: n argues increasingly with customers, 
vendors, employees and management 
n refuses to obey agency policies and 
procedures 


n sabotages equipment and steals 
property for revenge 


n verbalizes wishes to hurt employees, clients and/ or management 


n sends sexual or violent notes to 
employees and/ or clients 


n sees self as victimized by the 
Department (me against them) 


OVERHEAD #12 


LEVELS OF VIOLENCE 
LEVEL THREE (Further Escalation, Usually Resulting 


in an Emergency Situation) 


The person frequently displays intense anger resulting in: 
n recurrent suicidal threats 
n recurrent physical fights 
n destruction of property 
n utilization of weapons to harm 
others 


n commission of murder, rape, 
and/ or arson 


OVERHEAD #13 
LEVELS OF VIOLENCE 
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: 
n increased fear, emotional 
episodes, signs of physical injury 
and/ or other physical stress 


n deterioration of work performance 


OVERHEAD #14 


Source: S. Anthony Baron, Violence in the Workplace, 1993. 
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31 
Part 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM 
(20 minutes) 


 1. EXPLAIN that it is critical to identify, document and report the 
behaviors described in this training at the earliest possible moment so 
that appropriate action can be taken. Ignoring an individual who 
exhibits these behaviors sends the message that such behaviors are 
acceptable. 


& 2. ASK the participants to review the warm up exercise, "Thank 
Goodness Its Friday", on page 1 of their manuals to discuss 
interventions. 


 3. DISCUSS what to do "When Early Warning Signs Occur" with 
regards to "Thank Goodness Its Friday". 


You have OBSERVED and DOCUMENTED: 
 Sarah and John had an argument. 
 Sarah said that she is tired of John's sexual harassment. 
 John told Sarah that she's crazy. 
 John told Sarah that he can't stand to be around her. 
 John threatened that he will make sure Sarah has a horrible weekend. 


 Sarah is distraught. 
You should REPORT: Report your observations to your supervisor. 
You should CONTACT: The Crisis Management Team. 


3 4. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #15: When Early Warning Signs Occur (Level 1). Note any differences between the 
overhead and the participants' responses. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 13. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
32 
WHEN EARLY SIGNS WHEN EARLY SIGNS 
OCCUR (LEVEL 1) OCCUR (LEVEL 1) 


OBSERVE REPORT CONTACT OBSERVE REPORT CONTACT 


OVERHEAD #15 


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 


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. 
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33 
Continuation of Part 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A 
PROBLEM 


AN ESCALATION OF JOHN AND SARAH 
Continue to use "Thank Goodness Its Friday". Suggest that the group imagine that the 
situation has escalated. Start by stating that John returned to the office later that same 
day, more enraged than when he left. He was determined to find Sarah. 


? 1. ASK the participants to provide some ideas on how to handle this escalated scenario. 


3 2. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #16: When the Situation Has Escalated (Level 2). Point out the differences between the ideas 
generated by the group and what appears on the overhead. 


? 3. Ask the participants to imagine that when the situation escalated, they tried to intervene and John got very angry. On page 13 of their 
manual, the participants will find some ideas for what to do in this 
situation. One of the suggested steps is to ask John questions relevant 
to his complaint to try to calm him down. Tell the participants that 
you are now going to look at some of these questions. 


3 4. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #17: Ask Relevant Questions. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 14. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
34 
WHEN THE SITUATION WHEN THE SITUATION 
HAS ESCALATED HAS ESCALATED 
(LEVEL 2): (LEVEL 2): 


n DOCUMENT IN DETAIL 


n CONTACT SUPERVISOR, CRISIS 
MANAGEMENT TEAM, LAW ENFORCEMENT, SECURITY 


n SECURE SAFETY 
n CONTACT OTHERS LIKE THE EAP, 
UNION, AND/ OR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS 


n ASK RELEVANT QUESTIONS 
n IF AN EMPLOYEE, SUPERVISOR AND 
OFFENDING PERSON SHOULD MEET AGAIN 


OVERHEAD #16 


ASK QUESTIONS RELEVANT ASK QUESTIONS RELEVANT 
TO THE PERSON'S TO THE PERSON'S 
COMPLAINT SUCH AS: COMPLAINT 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? 


OVERHEAD #17 
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35 
Continuation of Part 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A 
PROBLEM 


A FURTHER ESCALATION OF JOHN AND SARAH 
Ask the participants to now imagine that the situation with John and Sarah has escalated 
further. Provide a scenario that indicates behaviors found in Level 3 (such as John 
hitting Sarah). 


 1. DISCUSS what to do "In An Emergency" with regards to the case 
scenario developed earlier. 


3 2. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #18: In An Emergency (Level 3). Point out the differences between the ideas generated by 
the group and what appears on the overhead. 


? 3. ASK if there are any questions. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 15. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
36 
IN AN EMERGENCY IN AN EMERGENCY 
(LEVEL 3) (LEVEL 3) 


n REMAIN CALM 
n SECURE SAFETY 
n CALL 911 AND OTHER APPROPRIATE 
EMERGENCY CONTACTS 


n COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT 
PERSONNEL 


n CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE CRISIS 
MANAGEMENT TEAM 


n IF PERSONALLY CONFRONTED, USE 
PROCEDURES IN LEVEL 2 


OVERHEAD #18 
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37 
Continuation of Part 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A 
PROBLEM 


* Instruct participants to reproduce this sheet (page 15 of their 
manuals) and keep in an accessible place at their workstations. 


 1. DISCUSS procedures for handling bomb threats. Note that most 
bomb threats are made by phone to a specific individual. It is 
important to remember that you should try to get as much detail and 
information as possible. 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 


F F Instruct participants to turn to page 16. 
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Continuation of Part 6: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE A 
PROBLEM 


Participants should be looking at the shaded box on page 16 of their manuals. 
 1. DISCUSS procedure for domestic violence intervention (see opposite 
page). 


! 2. EMPHASIZE that domestic violence typically escalates. It is important to talk to the person about your concerns for her safety. 
Resources and help ARE available. Initiate the process and 
encourage your co-worker to utilize these services (Encourage 
participants to utilize the local EAP number and the National 
Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233) or for the hearing 
impaired 800-787-3224). 


? 3. ASK if there are any questions. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 17. 
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40 
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 for the hearing impaired 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 a 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 
EXERCISES AND CASE STUDIES 


This section contains a number of case studies that will encourage participants to 
utilize the information learned in the training and to think about the best ways to 
handle the issue of violence in the workplace. 


Cases 1-5 are general and the content is applicable to all audiences. Cases 6-7 are 
more appropriate for supervisors and managers but can be adapted for general 
audience use. 


It will take about an hour to do these cases studies and exercises. If more time is 
available, cases can be discussed in more detail. If less time is available, select just 
a few cases for discussion. Suggested points for discussion follow the case 
descriptions. The Trainer's Guide has been arranged so that the case study is printed 
on the right side of your guide. The left side continues to provide training instructions. 
In this section, the training instructions are suggested actions to the case studies. 


Instructions for this section: 
Divide the class into small groups with at least 3 participants. Assign which case 
studies will be handled by which groups. If there is enough time, each group can 
discuss every case. Instruct the groups to take the following steps: 


1. Read the assigned case studies. 
2. Discuss "Things to Think About" and formulate responses. 
3. Have someone take notes and present the responses to the larger group. 


Include any of the suggested actions noted in the training instructions that were not 
mentioned. Make yourself available by walking around the room. Assist any group 
experiencing problems. Turn to page 64 when the class has finished this section. 


F Participants should turn to page 27 upon completion of the case studies. 
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CASE 1: HELPING MARY 
Suggested Actions: 
1. If Mary's behavior is having a detrimental effect on the workplace, it is a good 
idea to take some action whether or not violence is a concern. In this case, there 
are some indications that Mary may be in danger and may be the victim of 
domestic violence or stalking. 


It is important that others get involved in situations like Mary's, rather than see it 
as a personal matter best resolved at home. Frequently, women in Mary's 
situation do not know where to go for help. 


In addition, Mary's workplace is at risk. Domestic violence is frequently carried 
out at the workplace, where the partner is most likely to find the woman. 


2. You and your co-workers can talk to Mary 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. Tell her about the National Domestic Violence 
Hotline and the Employee Assistance Program. 


The supervisor can work with Mary and her co-workers to develop a workplace 
safety plan. The plan will outline a course of action in the event that the 
perpetrator shows up at Mary's work. Mary may also need to leave to hide from 
the perpetrator, take care of physical injuries (if there are any), and to care for 
children or others in the household who may also fall victim to the abuse. 
Explore sick and annual leave as well as leave under the Family and Medical 
Leave Act. Mary should be encouraged to let her supervisor know in advance 
when she may be absent or when her work may be affected. 


F Training Instructions for case #1 continued on page 44. 
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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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Continuation of CASE 1: HELPING MARY 
Suggested Actions: 
Management may also contemplate a temporary change of duty station for Mary 
so that her perpetrator does not know her location. The supervisor should also 
encourage Mary to seek help through the EAP or other local facilities. Security 
staff should be made aware of any civil protections or restraining orders that are 
in effect. A picture of the perpetrator may also be provided. Mary may also 
require an escort to her car or other buildings if there is a risk of a workplace 
incident. 


Other human resources staff can provide Mary with information that would help 
her make decisions about her household situation. She, for example, may need to 
know about her benefits, any work/ family resources, and health unit services. 
Training staff may help Mary develop a career and training plan that works 
towards the goal of independent financial security. 


3. Alert co-workers to any restraining orders or other civil protections so that if the 
perpetrator shows up they can request law enforcement assistance. 


Follow the established safety plan for Mary. It may include how to evacuate the 
premises and how to hide Mary. Don't be a hero if the partner shows up at work. 
Contact the appropriate law enforcement staff. 
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CASE 2: THE UNHAPPY CUSTOMER 
Suggested Actions: 
1. First, try to secure your safety. Call 911 or the emergency number for your 
location if at all possible. 


Remain calm and speak slowly and clearly. 
Ask the person to sit down; determine if he is able to follow directions. 
Ask him questions relevant to his complaint such as "Why do you believe you 
need to be violent because of the funding situation?" Or ask what you can do to 
help the person regain control. 


If the man does not calm down, try matching the loudness of his voice and then 
gradually bring your voice down to a calm level. 


Try to direct the aggressive tendencies to another kind of behavior so that he 
sees he has choices about how to handle the situation. 


2. There were some early warning signs that there might be some trouble around 
the grant situation. The situation is stressful in and of itself. Second, the phone 
calls were an early warning sign. Third, the fact that you felt sorry for the people 
puts you in a vulnerable position. You can feel compassion but must be realistic 
about possible reactions to this news. 


First, develop a plan of action for informing grantees about the elimination of 
their funding. Plans should include anticipating responses by the grantees and the 
best way to handle them, even the worst case scenarios. 


In this situation, the phone calls should have been documented thoroughly and 
reported to your local Crisis Management Team, security and/ or supervisor. 
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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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CASE 3: THE BURNT OUT ADMINISTRATOR 
Suggested Actions: 
1. In most cases, you will receive a number of negative thoughts about this 
woman. Focus on how the participants feel. The thoughts will be similar to 
this: 
" This woman is so disrespectful." 
" Doesn't she know I have had no sleep for days?" 
" I could strangle this woman right now!" 
" I can't stand it when people are such jerks!" 
" I am so humiliated; I must really be stupid to have made this 


" I hate it when people insult me." 
2. Possibilities: 
 verbal confrontation 
 physical assault 
 sabotage your repair job 
 cry 
 other negative or ineffective responses 


3. It is important to change your perspective in this situation so that you can 
act more effectively and not expend energy feeling bad, upset, etc. 
Instead remember to think effective thoughts and this will help you respond 
differently to the situation. These might include: 
" This woman must be having a bad day." 
" When people are angry, it is hard for them to listen to reason." 
" I am doing an important job and am doing it well, even if this 


" From this person's perspective, I am probably annoying and 
incompetent. But I need to take care of this computer problem and 
get on to my other work." 


F Training Instructions for case #3 continued on page 50. 
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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 
everyone's' 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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51 
Continuation of CASE 3: THE BURNT OUT ADMINISTRATOR 
" I can tell her the reason her computer crashed, but I don't have to 
persuade her about it now or be right." 
" When she calms down, maybe she will understand." 


4. Contact the EAP or other counseling service to help you understand and 
deal with your stress. 


Exercise, eat right, and find some quiet reflective time. 
Muscle relaxation and deep breathing, particularly in the middle of a 
stressful situation. 


Survey and understand situations broadly and do not take them personally; 
the behavior may have nothing to do with you. 
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CASE 4: THE STRANGE VISITOR 
Suggested Actions: 
1. This case is similar to "The Unhappy Customer" but without a weapon 
present (at least that we know about) so the response will be similar. 


 First, try to secure your safety and the safety of those around you. Call 911 or the emergency number for your location if at all possible. 
 Remain calm and speak slowly and clearly. 
 Ask the person to sit down; determine if she is able to follow directions. 
 Ask her questions relevant to her complaint such as "Why do you believe you need to be violent because of the government?" Or ask what you can 


do to help the person regain control. 
 If the woman does not calm down, try matching the loudness of her voice and then gradually bring your voice down to a calm level. 


 Try to direct the aggressive tendencies to another kind of behavior so that she sees she has choices about how to handle the situation. 
 Don't try to be a hero; she may have a weapon that you are not aware of. 
 If she leaves the building, direct the security or law enforcement personnel to where she went, if possible. Alert others around you that she may show 


up. 
2. There does seem to be some reasons for alarm about the physical security 
of the building. 


First, the door was propped open. Second, the woman entered the building 
without an ID or, in the event that you were in a public building, your area 
was not secured. 


Ask the security or law enforcement staff (or ask your supervisor) to do a risk 
audit of your location. This will identify areas in your building that need 
corrective action. This request can also be made of the local HHS Crisis 
Management Team. 
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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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CASE 5: THE SUSPICIOUS CALLER 
Suggested Actions: 
1. Take the threat seriously and immediately report it to your local law 
enforcement personnel and HHS Crisis Management Team. 


2. You can definitely report the following information: 
 the time of the call; 
 the phone number receiving the call; 
 the exact words of the caller; 
 it was a male; 
 his voice was excited; he spoke quickly; 
 his voice was muffled; 
 traffic noise was in the background; and 
 bomb is planted in your building. 


If you had more time with the caller, you also could have asked for the 
following information: 


 when the bomb would explode; 
 where the bomb was located exactly; 
 what the bomb looks like; 
 what kind of bomb it is; 
 the name of the caller and his address; 
 where he was calling from; 
 why he placed the bomb in the building; and/ or 
 if there were any particular people being threatened. 
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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 so 
you 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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CASE 6: ANOTHER VISIT WITH JOHN 
Suggested Actions: 
Part 1 
1. Contact John and the human resources staff who handle sexual harassment cases. 
Arrange a meeting to discuss the matter. 
Based on the event that occurred last Friday, you may want to alert security to be 
around your area at the time of the meeting. 


Don't assume the letter came from Sarah; it may hinder the investigation. 
2. This will depend on what plans were made at the beginning of the training. 
Part 2 
1. Don't overreact to John's comment but find out more information about what he 
meant by the comment. 


It is critical to involve John in assessing this situation. Try to contact him to talk 
more about the incident. 


While you do not want to overreact, you do want to be cautious about this 
situation. Alert security staff to the situation. They may choose to follow him 
or take extra precautions in guarding his or your work area. 


2. Involve John, human resources, and the security staff. In addition, you may want 
to contact the Crisis Management Team to help you make an assessment of the 
situation. 


F Training instructions for case #6 continued on page 58. 
CASE 6: ANOTHER VISIT WITH JOHN 
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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. 


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. 


Continuation of CASE 6: ANOTHER VISIT WITH JOHN 
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59 
Suggested Actions: 
3. This is a vague comment. It could be a threat but on the other hand, he may have 
meant that he had to go to the dentist. There needs to be more information to 
fully assess whether or not this a threat. 


4. Under the circumstances cited here, you may not require John to undergo a 
medical examination. The agency may offer an examination at any time they 
believe there may a medical or psychiatric reason for unacceptable behavior. 


There are only a few instances when you can order an examination. 
 when the position has medical standards/ physical requirements 
 when the agency has an approved ongoing medical evaluation program (usually applicable in a hospital setting where the agency 


must ensure that employees have not contracted conditions which 
may be of danger to themselves or others) 
 in Continuation of Pay/ Workers' Compensation cases to assist in placement efforts, and, 


 in reduction-in-force actions if the new position to which the employee would have placement rights has different medical 
standards than the one currently occupied by the employee 
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CASE 6 (Continued): ANOTHER VISIT WITH JOHN 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT (Part 1): 
1. What are you going to do now? 
2. Do you want to change any plans you made at the beginning of this 
training? 


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 to 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 and 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. 


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." 
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CASE 6 (Continued): ANOTHER VISIT WITH JOHN 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT (Part 2): 
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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CASE 7: THE BICKERING CO-WORKERS 
Suggested Actions: 
1. Under the HHS definition of violence, this would be considered a violent 
situation. The Departmental guidelines state: 


"Workplace violence is an action (verbal, written, or physical aggression) 
which is intended to control or cause, or is capable of causing, death or 
serious bodily injury to oneself or others, or damage to property." 


2. Thoroughly document the situations. 
Contact employee relations staff and the Crisis Management Team to discuss a 
course of action. 


If your actions involve another meeting with the co-workers, make sure that a 
security person is present at that time. 


3. There is at least a concern about insubordination. They walked out of a 
meeting in your office and told you to stay out of their business. The employees 
are also causing disruptions with other co-workers and may be a danger to 
themselves or others. Recommended action may include reprimands or 
suspensions. It is also recommended that employees be encouraged to seek 
help through the Employee Assistance Program or mediation programs. It 
may depend on other circumstances. It is always best to consult a human 
resources specialist before a decision is made. 


4. Yes, if inappropriate behavior continues, it is documented, and progressive 
disciplinary action has been taken, it is appropriate to terminate the 
employees. Terminations must be done in a humane manner, maintaining the 
dignity of the employees. Have security staff near by when the termination 
occurs in case the situation becomes explosive. 


CASE 7: THE BICKERING CO-WORKERS 
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You are the supervisor of a large group of employees. Over the last few months, you 
notice that two of your 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 (15 minutes) 
 1. EXPLAIN to participants that this section will cover what happens 
after a violent event. 


? 2. ASK participants if they know how long the effects of trauma last. 


3 3. DISPLAY and READ ALOUD Overhead #19: How Traumas Affect Employees 


! 4. EMPHASIZE that the effects of traumas on employees can last ANYWHERE from few days to a few months to even a few years. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 28. 
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HOW TRAUMAS AFFECT 
EMPLOYEES 


 Stage One: 
 "Shock Stage" (ex. shock, denial, 
disbelief or numbness) 


 fight or flight survival reactions 


 Stage Two: 
 "Impact Stage" -a variety of intense 
emotions (ex. anger, sorrow, guilt) 


 May last anywhere from a few days to a 
few months 


 Stage Three: 
 "Reconciliation Stage"-employee tries to 
make sense of the event 


OVERHEAD #19 
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Continuation of PART 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
Participants should be on page 28 of their guide. 
 1. DISCUSS the critical incident debriefing process developed by 
Jeffrey Mitchell, from the University of Maryland, called Critical Incident 
Stress Debriefing (CISD) . Note that 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 professional with CISD training. 
 Involves a number of phases (lengths of time vary for each person) which are listed below. 


 introductory: normalize event; support 
 fact phase: let people talk about what happened (heard, saw, smelled) 


 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 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 29. 
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Continuation of Part 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
 1. EXPLAIN that supervisors and managers play a critical 
role in responding to the immediate and long-term needs of 
employees. 


3 2. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #20: Considerations for Management. 


! 3. EMPHASIZE that it is essential to take care of yourself after experiencing a violent event. 
3 4. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #21: Helping Yourself. Ask the participants if they have any other suggestions for dealing 
with the aftermath of workplace violence. 


? 5. ASK if there are any questions. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 30. 
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CONSIDERATIONS 
FOR MANAGEMENT 


n BE SENSITIVE 
n OBSERVE THE RIPPLE EFFECT 
n BE SURE THE EMPLOYEE IS NOT 
ALWAYS ISOLATED 


n CONTROL MEDIA ACCESS 


n DO NOT JOKE ABOUT THE EVENT 
n DO NOT TRIVIALIZE THE EVENT 
n SUGGEST HELP THROUGH THE EAP 
AND OTHER TRAUMA SPECIALISTS 


OVERHEAD #20 


HELPING YOURSELF! 
n EAT RIGHT: keep stimulants to a minimum 
and do not use alcohol/ drugs to cope 


n EXERCISE: regularly and at least within the 
first 24 hours following the incident 


n SLEEP: get plenty of it! 
n TALK: take advantage of social support 
systems 


n LIFE-STYLE: set a realistic schedule, avoid 
boredom, take time to do enjoyable things 


n GET HELP: don't be afraid to seek outside 
help when needed 


n FUTURE: plan for your future safety 


OVERHEAD #21 
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71 
Continuation of Part 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
 1. EXPLAIN that prevention is a key component to any successful 
workplace violence strategy. 


3 2. DISPLAY AND READ ALOUD Overhead #22: Prevention. 
? 3. ASK participants to think about how these prevention strategies are utilized or underutilized at their workplaces. Inform participants that 
they may want to include their thoughts in the last exercise. 


F Instruct participants to turn to page 31. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
72 
PREVENTION 
POLICY 
WORK ENVIRONMENT 


EMPLOYMENT 
SCREENING SECURITY 


WEAPON LAWS 
EDUCATION 
EARLY 
INTERVENTION 


OVERHEAD #22 
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73 
Continuation of PART 8: OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER 
EXERCISE FOR PUTTING YOUR ENERGY TO WORK 
 1. EXPLAIN that this is the last exercise of the training. 


& 2. ASK participants to read the instructions at the top of the page. Allow approximately 5 minutes for participants to consider and document 
responses. Ask participants to share their ideas with the group. 
3. GO AROUND the room and have each participant state one step they 
documented in the exercise. 


! 4. THANK all participants for their cooperation and participation. For additional information, refer participants to the resource list in the 
back of their manuals. In addition, direct participants to the 
"Important Phone Number" list on page 33 of their manuals; suggest 
that they fill in the appropriate phone numbers and post in an 
accessible area at their work station. 


? 4. ASK participants to complete and return the participant's evaluation on page 35 of their manuals before they leave the classroom. 
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TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS 
74 
EXERCISE FOR PUTTING YOUR ENERGY TO WORK 
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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IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOCAL RESOURCES 
(COMPLETE THIS AT LOCAL LEVEL) 


75 
BELOW ARE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 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 a number of publications regarding risk factors and prevention strategies as well as 
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 


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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RESOURCE GUIDE 
76 
Keep this posted at your workstation 
Your Supervisor: 
Building Security: 
Building Health Unit: 
Human Resources 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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