workplace violence

Policy and Implementation Plan
Development and Revision

According to the State Personnel Policy Manual, every agency shall

	Develop a policy statement establishing that workplace violence is prohibited,
	Designate a coordinator to be responsible for the overall implementation of a workplace violence prevention and management program. The coordinator may choose to establish a crisis management team approach or develop their own system that identifies and mobilizes appropriate consultative resources, and
	Develop and implement a written workplace violence prevention and management plan.

POLICY

Every Agency policy must adhere to the one in the
State Personnel Policy Manual.
There may be additions, but all components of the State Policy must be included. The Workplace Violence Specialistcan assist in revision.

A Workplace Violence Policy has certain mandatory elements, including:

A clear statement of the intent and purpose of the policy

Definition of workplace violence and it's components

Definition of who, where, when and what the policy covers

A list of prohibited actions and sanctions

Who may be exempt from certain aspect of the policy, i.e. regarding weapons.

Demonstrate support for the victims of workplace violence.

Have a anti-retaliation clause

Explains clearly the role and responsibilities of employees, supervisors and organizational leadership

Prevention and Management Plan

While the Workplace Violence Policy is the backbone of an organization's efforts to address workplace violence, a Management and Prevention Plan is the meat and means of preventing and intervening on such occurrences.

A Master management and prevention plan is available from the Workplace Violence Specialist for adaptation and use by any North Carolina agency or university.

This plan covers the most important aspects of managing and preventing violence in the workplace, including:

	A Crisis Response Plan
	The role of a workplace violence coordinator and/or threat assessment team.
	Training and education
	Development of a reporting system
	A step by step procedure for incident response

Care for the victims and co-workers

Assessment Tools and Assistance

Previous to any incident, management can take preventative measures to assess the level of risk within their own organization. Services available include assistance in:

	A review of all previous incidents.
	An environmental and procedural assessment of vulnerabilities such a lighting, door locks, working alone or with money.
	An anonymous survey of employees about their concerns and issues. (A model survey is available from the Workplace Violence Specialist)