ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 2, 1997 TAG: 9702280037
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: WORKING IT OUT
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
Q: I shared work space with a co-worker. Her actions toward me included interrupting my calls with customers, verbal abuse, and - finally - striking me physically. I reported this, but no corrective action took place. She's since moved to another work space to be closer to a friend. I was referred to the Employee Assistance Program. I'm concerned about future abuse. The company's response to her abuse suggests they condone it and offer no protection.
A: Companies are having to deal with workplace violence more frequently. Most are underprepared and remain unaware of the OSHA mandate to create and maintain safe workplace environments; there can be stiff consequences for ignoring workplace violence.
Lou Perrott, a Roanoke psychologist and principal in Peak Performance Consultation, works with companies to create and maintain safe environments. In every case, Perrott finds that "handling incidents of workplace violence when they are still 'little' is a whole lot less painful than doing so when they are 'big.' No incident should be ignored." Basing workplace violence categories on S. Anthony Baron's "Violence in the Workplace," Perrott sees several, increasing levels of violence:
nLevel Three includes those who "regularly argue, are verbally aggressive toward co-workers, spread rumors and gossip to harm others, are reluctant or refuse to cooperate, swear at others and/or make sexually harassing comments."
nLevel Two includes those who "almost always argue - endlessly and forcefully, refuse to obey policies and procedures, steal company property, threaten to hurt co-workers or managers, write violent notes to others and see themselves as being victimized."
nLevel One includes those who "demonstrate frequent anger outbursts, physically fight, destroy property openly, use weapons and who commit murder, rape and/or arson."
Perrott says companies should have clear policies which "include steps for how incidents of violence are to be documented and responded to." Every employee should be aware of those policies and should be trained to deal with every level of workplace violence. Had you been so trained, you would have been able to respond and know what options were available. Perrott says your referral to the Employee Assistance Program "may be appropriate in itself."
You suffered abuse; counseling is always recommended for victims of abuse. But Perrott says a referral alone "may also indicate the company has not adequately discharged its responsibility to create and maintain a safe workplace." If your human resources officer did no more than refer you, it's possible your company doesn't have "adequately trained human resource personnel to investigate all complaints and determine the most appropriate response."
An investigation by human resources would determine "what the hitting really meant. What was the context?" If the hitting was "judged to be something short of severely aggressive, the kind police might be summoned for," your human resources officer would "outline an interpersonal tactic" allowing you to confront the "hitter one-on-one, with a silent witness present to observe."
And it involves the "hitter's supervisor responding to the problem."
While your company officers didn't react as they should, it's possible more action was taken than you know. Employee discipline is confidential. As a result, your attacker may have been disciplined, but you can't be informed of the nature of the discipline.
Your attacker's move suggests some discipline occurred. That your attacker says she moved to be close to a friend could be a face-saving statement, covering the truth that she was relocated by those in authority.
When someone has been hurt he or she often wants to see justice done. While the situation may have been addressed, it's likely you'll never know how.
Continue working with a counselor. Counseling could benefit you beyond working through this; counseling can help you learn to reduce the likelihood of future attacks.
Ask your human resources personnel to reconsider policies regarding workplace violence and to institute training on handling violent confrontations for all employees.
Talk with your counselor and your human resource officer about your concerns of future abuse.
Your company, like many others, appears to have much more work to do to make the workplace safer. Perrott says that a "company's workplace culture and values will either tolerate this kind of incident, by under-responding, or else demonstrate how this behavior is not in accordance with company values, norms, and expectations for workplace behavior." For many companies, the first incident of workplace violence, at whatever level, is an "opportunity to build or reinforce company values about how people are to be treated."
Camille Wright Miller, an organizational behavior sociologist who works in Lexington, answers questions from our readers about workplace issues. Please send them to her in care of The Roanoke Times, Business News Department, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010, or call 981-3100 ext. 498. Please give your name and phone number in case she has questions.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 linesby CNB