How To Prevent Violence In the Workplace
By Anne Hanson
New headlines about violent acts in the workplace are shocking. Certainly with the increased stress from the current economic conditions, we could expect such incidents to be on the rise. We all want to prevent such events from happening in our workplace, but it can be challenging, especially when the workplace is a casino. After all, isn’t foot traffic the key to our success? We want to throw open our doors to everybody; to make everybody feel welcome. What can you do as a property leader to keep your workplace safe?
Following are a few recommendations to reduce the likelihood that your property, customers and team members are exposed to workplace violence.
Review Your Policies
Make sure that your policies include statements about the consequences of engaging in threatening and/or violent behavior, both verbal and physical. Your policy manual should include a harassment-free workplace policy, not only to prevent unlawful harassment but also behavior that could provoke a violent response. Make sure that you have strict policies about weapons on company property, including employee lockers. Your policies should include employee locker checks. Make sure that you provide the proper notification and check the lockers. Enforce these polices swiftly and equitably. Nothing prevents workplace violence more effectively that taking direct action on early signs that it could be brewing.
You should have a clear drug-free workplace policy. Unless prohibited by state law or your union contracts, implementation of random drug and alcohol testing may be a good practice. Make sure that you are fair and consistent in your response to positive results.
Review your emergency procedures. Be certain that they include well-defined roles and responsibilities and that all team members, managers and supervisors know how to respond in accordance with your processes should an incident occur.
Add or Market an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
If you do not currently offer a confidential EAP as a part of your benefits for team members, you should consider doing so. Usually, you can cover both non-union and union team members under the same plan for a reasonable rate. Then, market the program! Many times team members don’t know about the resources available to help them. Moreover, train managers and supervisors on how to make referrals appropriately, providing them with referral cards with the necessary contact information.
Most EAPs will provide summary information about reasons for use. This information will indicate the major areas of concern for your workforce and could provide useful data for training or other support.
Should there be a stressful occurrence, for example a team member who experiences a heart attack on your property, EAPs will generally provide grief counselors and other support for your team members on site.
Open Two-Way Communication
Review the processes you have in place for two-way communication. Are they really adequate? Some ideas for effective vehicles include:
a) Employee Satisfaction Surveys – Annual processes are good. Even better are targeted more frequent surveys to pinpoint specific concerns and/or departments. Make sure that you follow up with team members once you get the results. Let them know what was said, in aggregate, and your action plans to improve the workplace. If you do not plan to address a concern, make sure that you communicate this fact as well as the reasons for your decision.
b) Focus Groups/Roundtables – These small face-to-face meetings provide opportunity for direct communication between team members and managers.
c) Hotlines – A hotline provides a confidential way for team members to express concerns. It is always better if they identify themselves for follow up purposes, however you should provide the option for anonymity.
d) Suggestion boxes – Suggestion boxes are similar to hotlines. Make sure that you follow up on submissions. If appropriate, you can publish submissions and the responses on a regular basis in your newsletter or on bulletin boards.
e) Open Door Policies – It is critical that team members know that they can report concerns to managers, supervisors and human resources. This policy must be more than a piece of paper to be effective. It must be a living practice.
f) Management By Walking Around – This really works! Your managers (and your Human Resources department) must make time to be out on the floor, when it is busy and when it is not. They must build trusting relationships with team members. Then, if and when there is an issue, team mebers will be comfortable bringing it up to the right people.
Give People A Break
Stay in touch with team members. If they need support, or even just a break, provide it! Make sure team members take scheduled breaks and lunch periods, If practical, encourage them to get away from the work area, even outside, during these breaks.
Enforce Security Procedures
Many times properties get slack on their security procedures. Make sure that you are not one of them! Have strict processes on how people gain access to restricted areas of your property, including back of the house and other team member areas. If you require visitors to sign in and out and to present ID, make sure this happens every time, whether or not the visitor is known. If you badge visitors, do so consistently.
Lock areas that you have designated as secure, including employee personnel and confidential files. Provide access and codes only to personnel who truly need it.
Security procedures don’t belong only to the Security Department of your property. All employees must be trained that security is everyone’s responsibility. Make sure that all team members know how to handle and/or report anything that they believe is unusual and all breeches of security procedures no matter how minor. Recognize team members who do so.
Be particularly careful about property and systems access for separated team members. Have a strict procedure to ensure that all team member IDs, access cards and keys are returned at separation. Make certain that separated team members cannot access the company systems remotely. This applies to both voluntary and in-voluntary separations.
Train your Managers and Supervisors in Workplace Violence
All team members should be trained in expectations, policies and procedures. As mentioned, they must be aware of security processes and should be encouraged to communicate concerns to their managers and supervisors and to Human Resources. I would, however, recommend that you proceed with great caution before implementing training on workplace violence for all team members. You may not be prepared for the emotional response such training may trigger. Additionally, such training could, in fact, result in a higher incidence of workplace violence.
On the other hand, training managers and supervisors as well as your Security and Human Resources departments is a very important preventative step. In addition to the training that all team members receive, they should also be trained on how to recognize risky behavior in team members and customers. They should also understand how to manage and report such behaviors within the framework laid out in your company policies and procedures. Interpersonal skills are, of course, most critical. Training with regards to communication and leadership may be your best tool in preventing workplace violence at your property.
Nobody can guarantee 100 percent security, 100 percent of the time. As always, it is a balance between welcoming customers, building a diverse work force and providing a safe workplace. However, with good practices, training, team work, leadership and, above all, communication, you can dramatically reduce the likelihood that your property will fall victim to the rising trend of violence in the workplace.
Anne Hanson has more than 25 years of professional experience in service industries, including 13 years of combined operations and human resources experience in hospitality and gaming. Prior to opening her own consulting practice CamCris LLC in 2008, Hanson held the position of Executive Vice President Human Resources & Labor Relations for GES Exposition Services Company. Before her time at GES she was the human resources executive responsible for the Paris Resort Casino and led the human resources function as Assistant Vice President for both Bally’s and Paris following that successful opening in 1999. Prior to her position at Bally’s and Paris, Hanson served as Director Human Resources for The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, as well Executive Assistant Manager at that property and the 1,500 room Chicago Hilton and Towers. In addition to her professional experience, Hanson earned an advanced degree (summa cum laude) in Business from the University of British Columbia, Canada. She is also heavily involved in the Las Vegas community currently serving as an active member of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College Advisory Board, UNLV Career Advisory Council, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas HR Committee, and the Opportunity Village ARC Board. She can be reached at Annehansoneah@aol.com.