WITH IT.
SHE LIVED IT TO THE FULLEST AND
HER SPIRIT WILL ALWAYS BE WITH
US."
JOINING US NOW IS REX OSBORNE, A
FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
AN EXPERT ON WORKPLACE VIOLENCE.
HE CONSULTS WITH COMPANIES AND
SCHOOLS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU.
WE KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING AROUND THEIR OWN OFFICES
AND WORKPLACES.
LET'S START WITH WHAT YOU CAN
PREDICT ABOUT WORKPLACE
VIOLENCE.
REX: WORKPLACE VIOLENCE IS NOT
REAL PREDICTABLE.
IT HAS NO LABEL.
YOU CAN'T SAY IT IS GOING TO BE
THIS PERSON OR THAT PERSON.
UNLESS YOU PUT IN PLACE SOME
TYPE OF THREAT ASSESSMENT
PROCESS THROUGH YOUR EMPLOYERS,
AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
EMPLOYEES.
GULSTAN: IT IS THE HUMAN
ELEMENT, THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF
IT ALL.
ARE THERE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE AND WHAT YOU
SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?
REX: LAST YEAR, THERE WERE OVER
2 MILLION WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
INCIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES.
EVERYTHING FROM VERBAL ABUSE TO
BULLYING IN THE OFFICE, ALL THE
WAY TO SOMETHING AS EXTREME AS
HOMICIDE.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS WATCH OUT
FOR YOUR COWORKER AND LOOK FOR
AGGRESSIVE OR IMMEDIATE CHANGES.
THAT CAN HAPPEN AMONGST ANYBODY.
NO ONE JUST SNAPS.
EDIE: YOU MENTIONED 2 MILLION
INCIDENTS.
YOU TALK ABOUT REPORTING IT.
YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE A
SITUATION WORSE.
WHAT DO YOU TELL PEOPLE TO DO TO
DEAL WITH THIS BEHAVIOR?
REX: HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, AND A
TEAM, ONE OR TWO PEOPLE THAT YOU
CAN SHARE WITH.
DEVELOP COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
YOUR COWORKERS.
WHAT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO IS
START NOTICING THINGS.
THEN, IF YOU CAN CATCH IT EARLY
ON, YOU CAN DO IT.
IF SOMEBODY IS A VICTIM OF
BULLYING, THEY MAY THINK THEY
HAVE NO OTHER RESORT.
IF YOU HAVE GOOD PLANS IN PLACE,
WORKPLACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS,
WORKGROUPS, GOOD CONVERSATIONS,
KNOW YOUR COWORKERS, EITHER SEEK
PROFESSIONAL HELP, OR CONTACT
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HELP WORK
THROUGH THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF
IT.
GULSTAN: SOMETHING FOR ALL OF US
TO HAVE IN THE BACK OF OUR
MINDS, WHAT ARE SOME COMMON
WARNING SIGNS FROM LESSER THE
MORE EXTREME?
REX:
THE BIGGEST THING IS IF SOMEONE
IS REAL SOCIALLY ACTIVE IN THE
COMMUNITY OR WORKPLACE AND ALL
OF A SUDDEN, THAT CHANGES
DRAMATICALLY, THAT IS A SIGN
THAT SOMETHING AS HAVEN'T TO
THEM.
THEN YOU START LOOKING FOR
THINGS LIKE ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE
FOR ABUSE.
WATCH FOR THINGS WHERE PEOPLE
ARE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT, THIS
GUY DID THIS OR THIS GUY DID
THAT, AND PUT THEMSELVES IN THAT
ROLE.
THREATS, DIRECT OR INDIRECT,
TAKE THEM SERIOUS AND LISTEN TO
THEM.
THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS
START LOOKING AT THEM AND THEIR
SHORT-TERM BEHAVIOR.
IF THEY ARE SLAMMING THEIR FIST
ON THE DESK AND IT IS JUST A
TEMPORARY THING VERSUS EVERY DAY
, THEY ARE MAD AT SOMEBODY OR
SOMETHING, THAT IS A SIGN.
EDIE: I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS MAY
KNOW SOMEONE LIKE THIS.
SOME EMPLOYERS MAY BE AWARE OF A
PROBLEM EMPLOYEE, BUT THEY MAY
BE WORRIED THAT IF THEY FIRE
THAT PERSON, THAT COULD BE THE
TRIGGER THAT SETS THEM OFF.
WE OFTEN HEAR IT WAS A FORMER
EMPLOYEE THAT COMMITS THESE
ATTACKS.
REX: A LOT OF TIMES, EMPLOYERS
ARE AFRAID OF JUST THAT.
YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLAN BEFORE
SOMETHING HAPPENS.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TREAT,
SALVAGE, OR TERMINATE THE
EMPLOYEE?
YOU HAVE TO HAVE STRONG HR
PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO DISCHARGE
THE EMPLOYEE, GETS THEM
COUNSELING, GET THEM INTO OTHER
POSITIONS.
DON'T JUST PUSH THEM OUT.
GULSTAN: WHAT ABOUT AFTER AN
EMPLOYEE IS TERMINATED AND STILL
PROTECTING THE OTHER EMPLOYEES?
SHOULD EMPLOYERS THINK ABOUT
GETTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
INVOLVED?
REX: IF THERE'S A THREAT, YOU
BET.
THERE ARE SOME LEGAL THINGS YOU
CAN DO TO RESTRICT THEM FROM THE
PROPERTY.
THE OTHER PART OF IT IS, MAKE
SURE YOUR EMPLOYEES KNOW THE
PERSON HAS BEEN TERMINATED.
KNOW YOUR SURROUNDINGS, KNOW
WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE AREA.
THESE NEWS FOLKS, THEY KNEW THE
PERSON.
IF THEY SAW HIM IN THE DISTANCE,
THAT MIGHT BE A SIGN THEY NEED
TO TAKE OTHER ACTION.
IF SOMEONE HAS BEEN TERMINATED,
IT IS NOT A GOOD THING.
THEY CAN HELP THEM THROUGH IT.
GULSTAN: REX OSBORNE, THANKS FOR
JOINING US.
GREAT TIPS FOR PEOPLE TO THINK
ABOUT AFTER THIS HORRIBLE
WORKPLACE TRAGEDY.