Workers at the highest risk for workplace violence include delivery drivers, healthcare professionals, public service workers, customer service agents, law enforcement personnel, and those who work alone.
Employers prepare for unprecedented ‘pressure cooker environment’ as workers grapple with the mental health stressors that have defined the year
LOS ANGELES – (SEPTEMBER 29, 2020)– As thousands of employees who have been working remotely for weeks are starting to return to their offices, people are finding themselves under tremendous strain and pressure. They're worried about the health and safety of themselves and their family members. They're facing financial stress due to reduced hours at work or losing a job. And they're concerned about shortages of essential items like medical supplies and food. When people are under stress and faced with immeasurable odds they may react to ordinary situations in unusual ways including resorting to violence. With nearly 40% of American adults acknowledging mental health challenges this year, employers are training their workforces to deal with hostile people and workplace violence as they take the necessary preventative measures to protect their employees and their customers.
“The concern many employers are having with bringing workers back to the office is the pressure cooker environment it may create,” said Doc Elliot, CEO for Phoenix Training Group. “For most folks, it has been a long time since they’ve been in an office environment, and the trauma and stress of the last year has deeply affected our mental health,” he said. “The slightest thing could set someone off, creating a very dangerous situation very quickly.”
According to Elliot, employers must be on the lookout for warning signs that may indicate an employee could become hostile or even violent at work. Phoenix Training Group offers cutting-edge violence prevention training programs that combine psychological and behavior coursework with de-escalation and negotiation skills.
During stressful times it's even more critical that a business implements and strategically enforces its workplace violence protocols.
Phoenix Training Group is the nation’s premier anti-violence workplace training program focused on the education of violence prevention and de-escalation tactics. Founded by Doc Elliot, a nationally-renowned Federal Negotiation Specialist, the company trains groups of all sizes with a fully customized approach to violence prevention training.
“Violence in the workplace can emanate from an inside hostile, toxic environment, or externally, where a perpetrator intent on doing harm enters the premises. Both situations are of major concern for business owners, especially those that readily serve the public.”
As Federal Crisis Negotiator with over 40 years of experience, Elliot is known among the top violence prevention experts in the U.S. He says that eliminating the threat of violence in the workplace comes down to identifying the type of potential threat and knowing how to diffuse it.
"People might be stretched to their breaking point—but it doesn’t have to be that way. We teach critical, safety and intervention protocols that ensure safety and peace of mind for business owners, employees and customers alike,” he said.
Amid a global pandemic, social unrest and a highly-charged political landscape, businesses across all industries are facing unprecedented incidences of violence.
Here are a few types of workplace violence that all businesses should prepare for:
Criminal intent - the perpetrator has no prior relationship with the victim or business, and the violence is usually incidental to another crime, i.e. active shooter
Customer or client - the perpetrator has a prior relationship with the business as a customer, client, patient, or student and becomes violent while being served by someone in the business.
Worker-on-worker - a current or former employee threatens another employee in the workplace.
Personal relationships / Domestic violence - the perpetrator has a relationship with the victim but not the business, such as when a domestic dispute spills over into the workplace.
These are just a few potential risk factors to consider while assessing vulnerabilities to workplace safety, even more in volatile and uncertain times.
Essential businesses are often the ones getting the brunt of workplace violence where untrained retail workers are often met with hostile customers. “One of the benefits of this kind of training is improved customers service,” Elliot said. “it doesn’t matter if an employee is dealing with an upset customer over a return or a situation that becomes more escalated. These are tools that will give employees the confidence to address a situation calmly and effectively,” he said.
As corporations rush to implement COVID-19 era safety precautions, experts urge violence prevention training as part of those protocols.
“People have a way of bottling up their anger and frustrations, especially in the workplace which can make it hard to detect potentially violent people without the proper training. This is why we stress preparedness as the key to prevention," Elliot said.
For more information about Phoenix Training Group or to request information on workplace violence prevention training visit www.phoenixtraininggroup.com.
For more information about Phoenix Training Group or to schedule an interview with Doc Elliot, contact Melissa Rein Lively.
Photo Credit: Phoenix Training Group
Doc Elliott, Federal Crisis Negotiator and Founder of Phoenix Training Group
