Subject: WORKPLACE VIOLENCE AND Supersedes: December 9, 1998
WEAPONS POLICY
Approved by:
PURPOSE
To promote a safe work environment for all employees.
To establish and maintain a workplace that is characterized by respect and the use of acceptable conflict resolution techniques.
To encourage and foster a workplace that is characterized by respect and the use of acceptable conflict resolution techniques.
ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS AFFECTED
This policy applies to all District employees, regardless of their organizational unit, on District property or off site with a District employee. Additionally, all persons who perform any services for the District, regardless of their employment status, are covered by this policy.
DEFINITIONS
Workplace violence includes threats, violent behavior, harassment, intimidation and other disruptive behavior, direct, indirect implied or actual from any person, and directed toward any person, occurring at a District facility or in connection with the conduct of District business without regard to location.
POLICY
It is the District’s to provide a safe work environment for its employees. The District is committed to working with its employees to maintain a workplace free from violence, threats of violence, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior. All employees are responsible for maintaining a safe work environment.
Violence threats, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior in the District’s workplace will not be tolerated; furthermore, all reports of these types of incidents will be seriously reviewed and will be appropriately resolved.
This policy applies to all incidents involving District employees while they are on duty, on or off plant sites, and incidents involving non-employees perpetrating violence against District employees while they are on duty.
Available conflict resolution techniques, such as problem solving, grievance procedures and appeals processes, will be used to appropriately resolve conflicts that arise in our workplace.
The District strictly prohibits persons from possessing weapons including, but not limited to, firearms, explosives, and knives, clubs and incendiary devices on District premises, in District vehicles, in private vehicles parked on District property, and in the possession of District employees while on duty performing District related business assignments.
PROCEDURE
Prohibited Conduct
The commission or threat of an act of workplace violence, harassment, intimidation, or other disruptive behavior is prohibited. The following examples of such conduct, while not all-inclusive, provide and indication of the types of behaviors that are considered unacceptable. An employee who displays/exhibits prohibited conduct under this policy with regard to one or more of the following may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, after consideration of the employee’s past performance, prior discipline, length of service and work history:
Causing physical injury to another person;
Making threatening remarks, whether with intent to harm or in jest;
Aggressive, hostile or harassing behavior that creates a reasonable fear of injury to another person or subjects another individual to emotional distress;
Intentionally damaging employer property or property of another individual;
Possession of a weapon while on District property or while on District business; or,
Committing acts motivated by, or related to, sexual harassment or domestic violence.
Other acts of threats of violence as determined by the District.
Persons who engage in prohibited conduct may also be subject to legal action by law enforcement authorities.
Reporting
If the incident involves an emergency and requires the direct intervention of public safety personnel (i.e., law enforcement or emergency medical services), immediately CALL extension 222.
Control Center personnel will contact emergency services via 911 and will coordinate the response of public safety personnel.
Any situation involving the commission or threat of violence, harassment, intimidation, other disruptive behavior, possession of a weapon or any other potentially dangerous situation must be promptly reported to a supervisor or the Human Resources Department.
Risk Reduction Measures
Employees at Risk
Employees are expected to exercise good judgement and to notify their supervisor or the Human Resources Department if a co-worker, or other person on District property or business, exhibits behavior that could be a sign of potentially dangerous situations. Such behavior includes, but is not limited to, the following;
Discussing the use of weapons as a means to perpetrate violence against another or bringing them to the workplace;
Displaying overt signs of extreme stress, resentment, hostility or anger;
Making threatening statements or remarks;
Sudden or significant deterioration in performance;
Displaying irrational or inappropriate behavior.
Hiring
The Human Resources Department takes reasonable measures to conduct background investigations in order to review candidates’ backgrounds and to reduce the risk of hiring individuals with a history of violent behavior.
Enforcement
Threats, threatening conduct, harassment, or any other act of aggression or violence within the District’s work environments will not be tolerated. All reports of these types of incidents will be promptly investigated and will be appropriately resolved.
Any employee determined to have committed such acts will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Non-employees engaged in violent acts on District premises will be reported to the proper authorities and fully prosecuted.
EXCEPTIONS
Knives traditionally used as tools and having a blade length of three and one-half (3 ½) inches or less are only considered weapons when used or displayed in a threatening manner.
PROVISIONS AND CONDITIONS
Post in offices.
Place in the Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual and on the Intranet.