Richmond policies help stop workplace violence

The University of Richmond's policies regarding workplace violence have been structured to create an environment in which potential acts of violence - such as the one that led to the death of a Yale graduate student last month - are managed before they intensify.

Authorities in New Haven, Conn., recently called the murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le a result of workplace violence. The suspect in Le's murder worked as a lab assistant in the same building where Le performed experiments.

"This is not about urban crime," New Haven Police Chief James Lewis said. "It is not about university crime or domestic crime, but an issue of workplace violence."

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration defines workplace violence as "violence or the threat of violence against workers."

Le's death came at a time when workplace homicide appeared to be on a downward trend, according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 1,080 workplace homicides in 1994, compared with 610 in 2007.

Although there are no national standards for workplace violence, an act passed by the Department of Labor requires that employers "furnish to each of [their] employees employment, and a place of employment, which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees."

At Richmond, the university dictates how all of its employees should act and the police department only becomes involved if an incident becomes a criminal act or has the potential to become a criminal act, said University Police Capt. Howard "Buddy" B. Norton Jr.

During the 26 years that Norton has served the university, he hasn't seen any instances escalate to workplace violence, he said, although some people have been asked to leave the university. Instead, most issues are handled through the human resources department, he said.

Workplace harassment is one such issue. Harassment can lead to workplace violence if it isn't addressed, and especially if the incident involves bullying, intimidation and silence, or if bystander apathy is present, Carl Sorensen, associate vice president for human resources, wrote in an e-mail.

The University's Employee Guidebook defines workplace harassment as "the creation of a hostile or intimidating environment, in which verbal or physical conduct, because of its severity and/or persistence, is likely to interfere significantly with an individual's work or education, or affect adversely an individual's living conditions on campus."

The human resources department has five employees with expertise in dealing with organizational development and employee relations. Some of their responsibilities include helping employees and supervisors deal with workplace disruptions of any kind, including harassment, Sorensen said.

The human resources department works closely with the police department when dealing with potentially hostile or violent situations. Occasionally, human resources representatives will ask the police to prevent certain people from coming on campus, Sorensen said.

In order to deter workplace violence, part of the orientation phase for new university employees includes training from the police department that is meant to teach staff to recognize and report instances of workplace violence quickly.

"At UR, we do things well, we train our people well, we pass out info well," Norton said. "We probably stay ahead of the game most of the time."

The orientation phase also includes a personal safety component, which occurs on an employee's first day of work, Sorensen said.

Of all victims of workplace violence between 1993 and 1999, 52 percent didn't report the incident of violence to the police, compared with 46 percent who did report an attack, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report.

Norton said instances of workplace violence typically developed over time and should be reported early if it is possible. People affiliated with the university should look for warning signs that could lead to workplace violence - such as when people lose their temper, partake in physical fighting and use alcohol or drugs. Witnesses of warning signs should report incidents before they escalate into violence, he said.

Of all workplace crime victims, college and university professors are the least victimized of all occupational groups. Only two out of every 1,000 such educators reported being victims of workplace violence, according to the report.

Despite workplace violence statistics, Norton said he was determined to ensure the safety and security of all students, faculty, staff and visitors of the university as he would his own children.

Sorensen said that students could protect themselves from workplace violence simply by paying attention to the behavior of employees they frequently have contact with. They should also avoid situations in which employees seem to be disagreeing and should never intervene, he said.

Contact staff writer Jimmy Young at jimmy.young@richmond.edu