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With the current economic situation in the U.S., the likelihood of workplace violence far outweighs threats of terrorism, according to many pundits. What does this mean to you? You must take a closer look at your organization for signs of potential trouble and take security very seriously over the next year or so. Information in the following articles can help raise awareness and...

Workplace violence affects not just the victims but everyone they touch. (Item #1)   An ounce of prevention could prevent violence in the workplace. (Item #2)   The CDC considers violence a national epidemic, and employers may have more liability than they think. (Item #3)  

Like any of your response plans, you need to make sure your workplace violence plan will work when needed. (Item #4)   When personal problems come to the office, disaster can be the result. (Item #5)   Bullying is a form - and possibly a precursor -- of workplace violence. (Item #6)  

As always, we look forward to hearing about your concerns with regards to business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, please email me at [email protected]

Best Regards,

Bob Mellinger
President
Attainium Corp

Quote of the Week

"Increasingly, the Human Resources function is both the target of these threats of workplace violence
and the organization's first line of defense for the prevention of workplace violence."
- about.com -

Articles

1. Workplace Violence - It's Everybody's Business
The burden of workplace violence is not assumed by only the victims of the violence, but also by their co-workers, families, and employers. Workplace violence is much more than well-publicized fatalities; it includes such things as threats, non-fatal injuries, lost work productivity, legal liability, economic impact on businesses, and other costs.
http://www.raconsulting.net/News/workplace_violence.aspx

2. Stopping Workplace Violence Before It Starts
During a ten-year period 40 individuals were murdered in workplace violence. In terms of present conditions there remains the threat of violence in the workplace. This may not result in murder, but it can cause intimidation and other forms of workplace abuse.
http://www.articlesbase.com/training-articles/stopping-workplace-violence-before-it-starts-836537.html

3. Workplace violence prevention important amid layoffs
Recent high-profile incidents of violence and the recession are fueling worries about workplace violence, and an increasing number of organizations are assessing their facilities and taking additional steps to create a secure work environment, observers say. Statistics show workplace homicide rates are increasing. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers workplace violence a national epidemic. And, increasingly, employers are being held responsible for failure to take proper action to prevent workplace violence, or to assist employees in recovering from it.
http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20090503/ISSUE03/100027555

4. Corporate Workplace Violence Plan - Will Yours Fail When You Need it Most?
You have your company's workplace violence plan all finished. It's loaded with all of the preventative and reporting procedures you think you need. You're all prepared, but...what are your people to do if something actually happens and they find themselves face-to-face with an attacker?
http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/corporate-workplace-violence-plan-will-yours-fail-when-you-need-it-most-461302.html

5. None of Our Business: When Domestic Violence Comes to Work
The odds are, you're going to find yourself having to deal with a domestic violence situation that has spilled over to the office. Domestic violence comprised 24% of the workplace violence incidents reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in their survey of businesses with 1,000 or more employees. If not taken seriously, it can be lethal; homicide by domestic partners accounts for 20% of all deaths among women at work - compared to the 11 percent accounted for by worker-on-worker violence. This article looks at how employers can navigate their way through one of the most sensitive examples of how personal problems can have devastating effects on work.
http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/none-of-our-business-when-domestic-violence-comes-to-work-854880.html

6. Ten Signs You're Being Bullied At Work
In the U.S., an estimated 37% of workers, or about 54 million people, have been bullied at the office or repeatedly mistreated in a health-harming way, according to a 2007 Zogby International survey. The percentage balloons to 49% of workers, 71.5 million people, when witnesses are included.
http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/22/health-bullying-office-forbeslife-cx_avd_0324health.html