In October, news media carried the story of an off-duty police officer who shot seven people in Crandon, Wisconsin, killing six of them. Normally that would not concern us here because we talk about issues related to the use of background checks by employers and landlords.
Earlier this month, though, organizational development consultant Daniel Schroeder wrote a piece in the Milwaukee Small Business Times answering a question sparked by the Crandon shootings: “What is a reasonable approach for a company that wants to make sure that it does what it can to minimize the chances of a violent act occurring?”
Schroeder points out that, if you’re an employer, you have a legal responsibility to prevent workplace violence. He says, “the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 181 of 1993) has a general duty clause that tasks employers with ensuring the health and safety of employees, as follows: ‘Every employer shall provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of his employees.'”
He’s got some good ideas about what you should do, but I’m not sure they go far enough. Here are mine.
Make sure you have a specific policy that not only prohibits workplace violence, but makes it a firing offense. You may want to offer mandatory counseling to first-time offenders through your EAP.
Make background checks a part of your hiring process. Pay special attention to violent acts in the past.
Make sure you do the background check on every person you hire.
Make sure you ask applicants to list any violence in their pasts. Make lying on this question or anywhere in the hiring process a firing offense.
Make sure you have a policy that employees who are arrested for any reason must disclose the fact to you within one work week.
Make sure you have a policy that employees who are subject to civil actions that may relate to violent acts, such as restraining orders, must disclose the fact to you.
Talk to your attorney to make sure you have the best possible wording for your regulations.
Finally, take any threat of violence seriously. Make sure your supervisors and managers know what to do.