Violence in the Workplace

[Lisa]

We often talk about violence we have encountered on the street or in the home. I am curious how many of us have encountered violence at the workplace, what was the cause and how it was dealt with by our employers. What was done to protect the victim and does your workplace have a policy created to deal with such an issue. Did you have to use force to protect yourself?

 

[Grenadier]

Came close once. We had a case of an oddball grad student from Iran, who was constantly getting into fights with other people (verbally). He had come up to my lab once, since he needed help interpreting some of the spectra that he had collected.

hen I told him to come back later on that afternoon, he started yelling "That is unacceptable! I must have these results now! Why cannot you do this now?!?"

I tried to explain several times, that I had many experiments going on right now, and that to interpret the spectra would take several hours, but he was unwilling to listen, and started spewing insults.

When I walked away, he had tried to grab my shoulder, at which point I told him to get out, and was about ready to deck him, if he went any further. He did eventually leave.


I didn't have to deal with this character again, since I had already defended my dissertation, turned in the final copies, and was simply biding my time before I could begin my postdoctoral fellowship elsewhere.

Interestingly enough, though, a couple months after I had left, I found out that he had been thrown out of the program, and kicked out of the school entirely.

His advisor grew sick of him, and told him to transfer to a different lab. One day before he was supposed to leave, this character tells his only "friend" (more like the really quiet guy who always agreed for the sake of being non-confrontational) this: "Do not come into work tomorrow! I am going to do very bad things to the lab!"

The quiet guy then freaked, and told the senior grad student in that lab, and she told the nearest prof about the situation. The prof chews out this guy, and tells him that he'll be reported to the police for this crap.

Well, this rather belligerant fellow then goes up to his "friend," and says "(Name withheld)! I am going to kill you! You told on me!" At that time, the quiet guy starts stammering "I... I... I... didn't do it! Uh, uh, uh, (insert lady's name) did it, not me!"

So, this guy goes up to the senior grad student and says: "(insert lady's name)! I am going to kill you! You told on me!"

At that point, she immediately runs off, and gets the campus police involved, who takes away his keys right then and there, and escorting him away. I'm surprised they didn't toss him behind bars...

Last I heard, this loser of a fellow had transferred to some college in South Dakota, and I really pity the department that took him in...

 

[Kacey]

We often talk about violence we have encountered on the street or in the home. I am curious how many of us have encountered violence at the workplace, what was the cause and how it was dealt with by our employers. What was done to protect the victim and does your workplace have a policy created to deal with such an issue. Did you have to use force to protect yourself?

It depends on where it's coming from. I've never had to use force against other teachers or staff, and parents are usually sufficiently outnumbered (although there were a few cases where parents took out their frustration on the front-office staff - but our school resource officer - who wears full police gear - is in hearing of that area for a reason... one parent got arrested several years ago, and it hasn't been much of a problem since). The kids, now, that's a whole other issue. I've never had a kid attack me physically, but I have had to break up fights - oddly enough, at that point, my referee training kicks in and I find myself grabbing each kid by the shirt, dragging them apart, and yelling "BREAK... it up" - it's funny now, but it wasn't at the time.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I have seen it a few times in different jobs I have had.
1. Two people in a fist fight because of a young lady both where dating and what one said to the other about her. Results: one fired and the bosses son kept his job
2 A person threatened to "cut" someone and to meet them in the parking lot and "gut" them. Never was sure why this came about. results: person doing the threaten was fired
3 two people at my current work place who have a known record of violence who often say they want to take someone outside and settle things. Nothing has ever been done about this at this time employer seems to think its just talk

 

[Phoenix44]

Violence in the workplace? I work in schools. 'nuff said.

 

[theletch1]

The place I work has a very strict "zero tolerance" policy and have us re-sign a reminder of it every year. The few fights that have taken place inside the plant have resulted in both parties being fired with no questions asked. This has always seemed a perfect example of what a zero tolerance policy is all about in the first place...not having to figure out what went on or spend time deciding what the truly right thing to do in the given situation would have been. Just fire everyone regardless and get back to making money. I am so glad I drive a truck and don't have to be inside the building but just a few minutes a day.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I've gotten into fights at work. Most of the time I convince my opponent/work buddy he is making a mistake and the situation disolves. I have never hit to injure though.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I have seen it a few times in different jobs I have had.
1. Two people in a fist fight because of a young lady both where dating and what one said to the other about her. Results: one fired and the bosses son kept his job
2 A person threatened to "cut" someone and to meet them in the parking lot and "gut" them. Never was sure why this came about. results: person doing the threaten was fired
3 two people at my current work place who have a known record of violence who often say they want to take someone outside and settle things. Nothing has ever been done about this at this time employer seems to think its just talk

I hear ya.

 

[kidswarrior]

Violence in the workplace? I work in schools. 'nuff said.

Me, too. Except I work in a school for the kids you kick out/lock up for violence. I think it's karma for being a rough neck as a kid.

Seriously, tho, sometimes we'll have gang problems or racial tensions flare up in the city, which effect the school. Over the last couple decades, lots of war stories.

 

[exile]

Me, too. Except I work in a school for the kids you kick out/lock up for violence. I think it's karma for being a rough neck as a kid.

Seriously, tho, sometimes we'll have gang problems or racial tensions flare up in the city, which effect the school. Over the last couple decades, lots of war stories.

Ooof...I can imagine. Teachers deserve hazard pay, these days...

 

[still learning]

Hello, Violence in the work place! This is a good example of the way children are brought up by there Parents or guardians and people who became there role models.

Children look at Adults as gods and many kids want to be like there parents/role models and often copy them. (the good and the bad).

Lots of homes have violent situtions (because there parents had violence in homes).

Teach a child.....he will learn to do this as he grows up.

Violence will never end.....anywhere....take and learn martial arts and Verbal Judo. (wear bullet proof vest and underwears).

If if was not for violence we would NOT have prisons...( what would we do if it was empty?)
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Always document every bad behavior and things he not suppose to be doing, job accidents,not performing his duties properly. This is one thing.

Learn to use this at his firing, READ How to fire people(all things on this).

............People who do not know how to control there tempers....very little we can do here............Aloha

 

[kidswarrior]

Ooof...I can imagine. Teachers deserve hazard pay, these days...

Thanks, Exile.

 

[Ceicei]

Well, I work with people who have physical, mental, and psychological problems. We do occasionally have incidents where they may attack us. I have received a gun threat last year. It comes with part of the territory.

As to what does our work do to protect us who work there? We do have a security guard on premises. There are some of us that train in martial arts. For some who do have a concealed carry permit, we can bring it in (allowed with some facilities, and some others do not--depending upon the security level).

- Ceicei

 

[wade]

27 years in the Postal Service, what do you think?

 

[Shaderon]

Ooof...I can imagine. Teachers deserve hazard pay, these days...

Seconded! My teachers used to give you a smack if you were cheeky or were fighting, I even had one that could take your ear off with a board-rubber, we didn't misbehave much. Teachers do have it difficult today, even in normal schools I've heard of teachers being threatened with legal action because they just touched a kid who was being violent. Hats off to you Kidswarrior, that's a job I'd never want to do.

27 years in the Postal Service, what do you think?

27 years? you lasted 27 years? Give the man a medal!


I've only ever witnesses trouble once, and that was from an outsider trying to get past security.

 

[Xue Sheng]

We often talk about violence we have encountered on the street or in the home. I am curious how many of us have encountered violence at the workplace,

Yes, a lot actually. But I have not in many years and I do not want to ever again if at all possible.

what was the cause and how it was dealt with by our employers.

The cause was generally Drugs, Alcohol, insanity or relationship issues

It was dealt with by calling me or someone else from my past career in Security at Hospitals, State Colleges and State offices.

What was done to protect the victim and does your workplace have a policy created to deal with such an issue. Did you have to use force to protect yourself?

To protect the victims in most of the cases nothing was done, they had security to deal with these issues (which did not make me very happy). In one of the state office I worked in they added security and locked the majority is the entrances and limited access but this was only after a law suite was threatened by a staff member whose ex-boyfriend came into the building and chased her into a ladies room and beat her.

My favorite idea (I am being sarcastic here) of all time for protecting victims was at one of the hospitals (with a Mental Health and Detox unit)that came up with a training program to deal with violent people and how to defend yourself. I was made to go through it and it was absolutely pathetic. It was geared more towards not hurting the aggressor and less towards actually self defense or protecting the victem. It is always better to show people the stuff they came up with but I will try and explain some.

To take someone down took 6 people. 1 for each leg, one for each arm and 2 to cradle the attackers head so they would not hit it on the floor while going down. It was priceless training let me tell you. Not to mention the apps that involved pushing the attacker away from you so they would not be hurt AND of course giving the attacker another chance to come at you.