The document discusses the significant role of Human Resources (HR) in preventing workplace violence (WPV), outlining types of incidents, associated costs, and the psychological profile of potential offenders. It emphasizes the importance of comprehensive WPV prevention programs, policy implementation, threat assessment teams, and effective termination processes. Case studies illustrate the consequences of inadequate WPV management and the critical need for proactive measures to ensure employee safety and organizational integrity.

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HR’s Emerging Role in Preventing
Workplace Violence Incidents
Rick Nelson, CPP
Richard D. Nelson & Associates
Security Consultants
Board Certified in Security Management

2. 2
Full Disclosure
• My Name is Rick Nelson
• I’ve Never Been to a Garden Party
• I can’t Play the Guitar
• Ozzie & Harriet are Fine
• Yes, my middle name is “David”
• And, If you laughed at any of these,
I know that you are over the age of 40

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Agenda
• Types of Workplace Violence Incidents
• Costs Associated with Workplace Violence
• Changing Role of Municipal Police Agencies
• Why is HR Involved in WPV Prevention?
• Identify Common Traits of Offenders
• Discuss Common Triggering Events
• Define The Gold Standard of Comprehensive
WPV Prevention Programs
• Handling Employee Termination Events Safely
• Questions / Comments

4. 4
Video courtesy of Dan Weigers
Why am I here today?

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Are You Prepared?
• In a 2005 Bureau of Labor Statistics –
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Study:
• In an average week, 1 employee is killed and 25 are
seriously injured during violent assaults by current of
former coworkers
• Homicides are the second leading cause of job-related
deaths, surpassed only by motor vehicle accidents
• Only 68% of employers have written policies addressing
workplace violence
 Far fewer have a comprehensive plan for preventing violence in the
workplace

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Workplace Violence Typology
Types of WPV Incidents
1. Criminal Act
Robbery, or other crime
2. Recipient of Service
ER Nurse, Taxi driver…
3. Worker on Worker
Current or former employee
4. Personal Relationship
Non-Job Related (Domestic Violence by Spouse / Partner)

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HR 101

8. 8
Can We Agree…
• In order to have
people function at
their peak…..
• Employees need to
feel safe first &
foremost

9. 9
Can We Agree?
• 1.7 million “violent
victimizations” annually
• $6.5 Billion +
• lost business and
productivity,
• litigation,
• medical care,
• psychiatric care,
• higher insurance rates,
• increased security
measures,
• negative publicity, and
• loss of employees
Source: National Institute for Prevention of
Workplace Violence & Violence in the
Workplace, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of
Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice
Statistics.

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Financial Impact
• NIOSH research indicates that the average cost
of a workplace homicide exceeds $850,000 per
incident
• Average out-of-court settlement in negligence
cases of workplace violence averages $500,000
(Not including any punitive damages)
• The average jury award involving negligence
cases of workplace violence exceeds $3 Million
(Rebecca Speer, workplace violence attorney study)

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Can We Also Agree:
• Employees who feel
safe are:
– More productive?
– Less distracted?
– More engaged?
– Happier?
– Better Employees?

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Do I really need to be concerned
about workplace violence?
• We’ve never had a
incident in the past,
• We have good policies,
• We do pre-employment
screening,
• We have our own
security force,
• And, besides, if anything
happens, we can always
call the police……..

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The Role of the Police
“Serve & Protect”
What is the image that you see?

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No, Not this image

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The Image Most people See….

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The Police – “Serve & Protect”

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The Police – “Serve & Protect”
• During the 1980’s – 90’s Innovative new policing programs were
initiated (Community Policing, DARE, CAPS).
• During this recession, for the first time, Police Department’s have
been forced to lay-off sworn officers.
The role of Law Enforcement is changing
• Organized Criminal Elements
• Gangs
• Drugs
• Terrorism (Domestic & International)
• Computer / Internet Based Crimes
• Increasingly, as criminals become better organized and better
armed,
This is the face of local law enforcement……….

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“PROTECT” & serve

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The New Face of Protect & Serve
post 9/11, NYC

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Police Response Times
Atlanta Journal Constitution studied
response times to high-priority 9-1-1
calls during 2008
• Average response time of Atlanta PD for
the first officer to arrive on the scene was
more than 11 minutes.
• Comparison of other departments across
the country showed response times
ranged from 8:54 to 11:12

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The average violent
Active Shooter
incident is over
in less than
5 minutes

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Back to the original question…Do I really need to
be concerned about workplace violence?
• Economic Conditions
– Worst recession since WWII
– Massive Job Losses Nationwide
• Many expect that unemployment will reach 11%
• Higher rates of divorce
• Higher rates of bankruptcy
• Record rates of foreclosure
– Repossessing the “American Dream”
• In sum, our workforce is under stressors
like we have never seem before

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Case Study
“William Smith - ABC Company”
• Mfg Company bought out
by V/C led conglomerate.
• Long term EVP being
terminated
• History of Internal
Investigations
• History of verbal abuse to
employees (specifically
against HR Director)

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Background
• Current management was in the process of reorganizing the senior
management team.
• Mr. William Smith, an original equity partner and long term employee of the
company & current Executive Vice President was to be notified that his
employment is being terminated.
• Management was concerned that Mr. Smith may react negatively to learning
of his termination. In the past, Mr. Smith has been verbally aggressive and
combative to other staff; (they denied any knowledge of any physical
violence). Prior to an meeting with the Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Smith
complained to a co-worker that he was frustrated and felt that his role had
been diminished and his ability to effectively complete his job was being
undermined by a lack a direction from his superiors and by limiting his ability
to travel.
• Mr. Smith was previously under an internal investigation by the Company for
an undisclosed reason and while resolved, which caused Mr. Smith to state
to other co-workers that he feels that other people in the organization were
“out to get him” and stated that they were “lucky that I don’t have a gun with
me”.
• This photograph was in the Company lobby………

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Would you be Concerned?

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What did we do?
• Met with Company Officials and learned:
– Company had no anti-harassment policies
– Company had no emergency plan
– No WPV prevention program
– No access control policies - open office
– Subject was already angry with Management
• Met with local PD
– Advised PD of situation
– Learned that subject had no local contacts / arrests
– No FOID card
– Arranged for “Extra Watch” on the Facility during the termination.

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What did we do?
• Met with the Individual in a controlled enviornment
– Assessed his current emotional condition & allowed him
to “vent”
– Explained that his former company had arranged
Outplacement services for him
– Escorted him out of facility and off company property
– Followed up with him later that day and on subsequent
days to insure that his emotions and actions were
directed towards positive goals
– Had him work extensively with a career coach
– During times when he regressed back to anger at the
Company, we re-focused his vision on the future.

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What was the Outcome?
• Client was provided with a professionally written resume,
worked with a coach for a intensive 2-day training
program, utilized office space provided by outplacement
firm.
• Client successful disengaged from his former employer
after working with a coach for approx. 3 months.
• Client formed his own consulting firm and has actually
referred sales leads back to his former employer.
• Anti-climactic?
• Absolutely!
• Good Company Policy?
• No violence, other employees saw that he was treated well, no
negative effect on “Brand”

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Case Study #2
• In this case, Paul Calden, a former claims administrator with Firemen’s
Fund Insurance Co. shot five employees, (all were executives or
supervisors), killing three, before killing himself.
• Just prior to the shooting, Calden reportedly told the victims
"This is what you get for firing me."
• Relatives of the deceased sued Calden’s former employer – Allstate – for
giving Firemen’s standard job reference on Calden, violating the Duty of
Care Standard that had not previously been defined.
• The families claimed that Allstate had a duty to disclose the former
employee’s problems during a job reference interview (i.e., Background
Check conducted by Fireman’s Fund prior to employment).
• The incident happened 8 months after Calden was terminated from
Allstate.

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Case Study #2
• Do you think that the HR Dept. at Allstate,
(Calden’s former place of employment),
knew that he had:
– Brought a gun to work?
– Believed he was an alien,
– Refused to have his picture taken? or
– Wrote the word “blood” next to the names of
his co-workers?
• This case was settled out of court for a
reported $50 MILLION

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How can we in HR address WPV?
• 80 / 20 Rule
– 80% of the problems are caused by 20% of
the employees.
• HR is uniquely positioned to “know” this
20% Population intimately
» performance problems
» harassment of other employees
» you know the “problem” employees
» you know the managers
» Are in a position to provide intervention
(counseling / EAP)

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You May Already Know Them…
• Characteristics of Potential WPV Offender
– Typically Male (sorry, all you violent ladies)
– Low self-esteem (may be masked – Bravado Attitude)
• People that attempt to make themselves feel better by putting others down
– Feel unfairly treated
• Either real or imagined grievances (They are all real to that person)
– May have problems relating with others
– Blames others
• Unable to accept responsibility for their own actions
– Past history of performance / behavioral problems (excessive tardiness,
decreased productivity, co-worker complaints…)
– May be ostracized from the group
– May exhibit unusual level of interest in past acts of violence
• Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech Shooter) wrote & submitted prolific “plays”
and other works of “fiction” vividly describing his violent ideations.
– May be fascinated with guns or other weapons
• Cho spent several months amassing the weapons used in the rampage in
2007. He also began frequenting a shooting range 40 miles from the school.

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Common Triggering Events
• Domestic Conflicts
• Disciplinary Actions / Terminations
• Performance Reviews
• Denial of Perceived Entitlements
• Continued Employment
• Promotion
• Disability Benefits
• Unemployment Benefits
• Worker’s Comp. Benefits
• Work Force Reductions
• Rude or Disrespectful Treatment (Either Real or
Perceived)

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Racial
Harassment
Economic
Stress
Employee
Theft
Violence
Prone
Hartford Distributors, Aug 3, 2010

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Case Study #3
Hartford Distributors, Aug 3, 2010
• Omar Thornton, 34 a driver employed for less
than a year, shot & killed 8 people and seriously
injuring 2 before killing himself.
• Immediately before the rampage, he was in a
disciplinary meeting where video evidence of
him stealing beer from his route was presented.
He was offered the opportunity to resign or be
fired.
• He left the meeting room, went to the employee
lounge, and returned with 2 loaded Ruger SR9
semi-automatic handguns.

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Hartford Distributors Rampage
• Police arrived on the scene within 3 minutes of the first 911 call and
entered the facility 10 minutes after the first call.
• After his rampage, Thornton called his mother and 911 to explain
the shootings, saying:
Thornton: “This is Omar Thornton, the, uh, the shooter over in
Manchester…. Uh, you probably want to know the reason why I shot
this place up. This place here is a racist place.”
Dispatcher: “Yup, I understand that.”
Thornton: They treat me bad over here, and they treat all the other
black employees bad over here too, so I just take it into my own hands
and I handled the problem — I wish I coulda got more of the people.

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Hartford Distributors Rampage
• Thornton had reportedly told friends and
relatives that coworkers had scrawled racist
comments on a bathroom wall & hung a stick
figure effigy in a miniature noose.
– Thornton’s girlfriend claims to have seen evidence of
these racial events, but no compelling evidence has
been presented to validate these claims of racial
harassment, nor had Thornton filed any complaints to
either the company or his union.

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What else have we learned?
• Thornton declared bankruptcy by the time he was 24,
• He was in financial distress at the time, and in the past,
• He had domestic problems – ending his relationship several months
before,
• His Facebook page showed his fascination with guns
• He had feelings of being persecuted over claims of racial
discrimination,
• Before the meeting, he was notified that the meeting was to present
evidence of his stealing from the Company.
• After signing the resignation form, he was allowed to move through
the facility un-escorted
• Prior to the meeting, he had placed his lunchbox in the adjoining
employee kitchenette containing 2 loaded handguns.
• All of Thornton’s victims were white men over 50 & were managers
that he believed had hired detectives to document his thefts.

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The Gold Standard
of Workplace Violence Prevention

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Industry Best Practices
Gold-Standard of WPV Prevention
• Proactive Management Support
– Makes WPV prevention an imperative
• Implement & Uniformly Enforce Policies
addressing:
– No Threat / No Violence
– Bullying / Intimidation
– Harassment / Discrimination
– No Weapons
– Alcohol / Drug Use
– Code of Conduct / Employee Ethics
– Electronic Communications Use

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Gold-Standard of WPV Prevention
• Reporting Procedures
– Multiple Reporting System Inputs
• Designated Contact Person(s)
• Email
• Hotline
• System in place to Evaluate Threats
– Multi-Disciplinary Incident Management Team
• HR, Security, Legal, Senior Management, Union,
Corporate Communications / PR…

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Gold-Standard of WPV Prevention
• Available Options When Threat is Deemed
Legitimate
– Diversionary Resources
• EAP / Counseling
• Psychological Behavioral Threat Evaluation
• Substance Abuse Treatment Resources

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Gold-Standard of WPV Prevention
• Training Programs
– Include in all Recruitment Activities
• Similar to “Drug-Free Workplace” language
– Add to On-Boarding of New Employees
– In-Service for all Employees
• Insure that everyone knows how to report concerns
–Manager / Supervisor Training
• Warning Signs
• Actions
– What Should I Do When I Receive an Employee Report
of Concern?

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Gold-Standard of WPV Prevention
• Record Keeping Systems
– Investigations
– Diversions / Treatments
– Ongoing Monitoring
• Extended Monitoring / Follow-up
• Facility Physical Security
– Access Control Systems
• Ability to limit & restrict movement within facility

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Gold-Standard of WPV Prevention
• Pre-Employment Verification / Screening
– Background Investigation
– Verify Credentials
– Discover past undisclosed criminal activity
• Past history of violence is a strong indicator of
future violence.
– Opportunity to verify the integrity of candidate.
• Dishonesty during application process is an
indicator of on-the-job integrity.

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Pre-Employment Screening
• Verify at least last 5 years of work history
• Check References
• Verify Education & Credentials
– Rule of Ten - Estimated that 10% of professional
resumes include intentional misrepresentations.
• Ask former employers:
– “Is there any reason that we need to be concerned
about violence?”
• They may or may not respond – Ask anyway.
• Places them on notice that you asked the question
• Document the conversation – date, time, contact and
response

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Access Control &
Other Physical Security Measures
• Access Control
– Organization has the
absolute right to
determine who is
allowed in you facility,
and where they go.

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Access Control
• Best Systems will:
– Restrict access to
allow only people with
a legitimate business
purpose to be there.
– Provide an audit trail to
insure that only
approved people are in
restricted areas.

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Access Control –
Visitor Management
• Guests, Visitors and
Service Providers
should not have
unrestricted access to
facility.
– Should be logged in
– Should be escorted
– Should be logged out

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Incident Management Team (IMT)
• Multi-disciplinary team to
evaluate & manage
possible threats
• Should include
– Executives,
– HR,
– Security,
– Line managers
– Legal
– Communications (PR)
– Union……

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Guidelines for
Incident Management Team (IMT)
• Definition of Process at each stage:
– Initial Notification of Incident of Concern
– Initial Data Gathering & Risk Assessment
– Initial Actions of Team
– Risk Management & Strategy Options
– Resolution
– Analysis

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The Top 10
Early Warning Signs
10. Typically Male
9. Have Problems Relating to Others (Loner)
8. Past history of performance / behavioral problems
7. Exhibits unusual interest in past acts of violence
6. Exhibits unusual interest with guns or other weapons
5. Unable to take responsibility for their own actions.
4. History of Substance Abuse, Depression or other mental
health issues
3. Paranoid, Vindictive or display other Bizarre Behaviors
2. Low Self-Esteem
1. Believe that they have been Unfairly Treated

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Safe Termination Events
• Review personnel file for indications of potential violence
characteristics
• In-person (not by phone or email)
• Strive to treat the person as an individual
– Dignity & Respect
• Semi-Private meeting (1-2 people + employee)
• Layout of room (don’t let person get between you and door)
• Control the movements of former employee.
– Recent shooting in Connecticut, staff allowed the offender to leave the
meeting room to get a glass of water ~ he returned with a gun.
• Plan for emotions (anger, sadness, disbelief…)
• Provide all information conveyed verbally in written form
• Insure that credentials are revoked immediately (access,
computer…)
• Consult with in-house security prior to event (if available)
– Allocate additional resources or people as needed
– Liaise with local law enforcement

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Outplacement Services
• If uncertain retain consultative assistance.
• Provide Outplacement services for departing employees
– Service that helps the employee find their next position.
• allows them to “vent” to 3rd party
• Re-direct anger to productive actions
• Retain OP service that are “career-level-specific”
- Don’t group VP’s with production workers
- Program tailored to the level of the employee (front
line, supervisor, manager, executive etc…)
• Providing Outplacement validates the individual’s sense
of self worth and shows that the company respects the
individual & their contribution.
– Demonstrated both Dignity & Respect of the person
– Feeds into their ego & self-esteem
– Demonstrates to Survivors that Company cares about the
departing employee.

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The First Step…
Strive to create an Open, Honest &
Respectful Workplace.
Where individual contributions are recognized
and celebrated
Where, every individual has the right to be treated
with dignity & respect
NO exceptions!

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Remember…….

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Past Incidents of Workplace Violence
• - Aug. 3, 2010: Warehouse driver Omar Thornton shot and
killed eight people before apparently committing suicide at a
Manchester, Conn., beer distributorship.
• - May 7, 2010: An employee of the State Street Old Navy store
was shot and killed by her boyfriend as a result of an earlier
domestic disturbance. The shooter committed suicide after
fatally wounding his girlfriend.
• - Feb 26,2010 Birney Elementary School, Tacoma, WA. Teacher
was shot multiple times as she entered the workplace.
• - Feb. 12, 2010: Three biology professors were shot and killed
and three other employees injured at the University of
Alabama's Huntsville campus. Amy Bishop, a 42-year-old
instructor and researcher at the school, is charged with
murder.
• - Jan. 7, 2010 ABB Inc St. Louis, MO A worker armed himself
with multiple weapons, fatally shooting three workers and self;

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• - August 27, 2003: Recently fired Salvador Tapia, 36, killed six
former co-workers at an auto parts warehouse in Chicago, then
was shot dead by police.
• - July 8, 2003: Doug Williams, 48, shot and killed six workers
and wounded eight others before killing himself at a Lockheed
Martin aircraft parts plant in Meridian, Miss.
• - Feb. 25, 2003: Emanuel Burl Patterson, 23, shot and killed four
fellow jobseekers and wounded a fifth at a temporary
employment service in Huntsville, Ala.
• - Oct. 28, 2002: Failing University of Arizona Nursing College
student and Gulf War veteran Robert Flores, 40, walks into an
instructor's office and fatally shoots her. A few minutes later,
armed with five guns, he enters one of his nursing classrooms
and kills two more of his instructors before fatally shooting
himself.
• - Jan. 16, 2002: Graduate student Peter Odighizuwa, 42,
recently dismissed from Virginia's Appalachian School of Law,
returns to campus and kills the dean, a professor and a student
before being tackled by students. The attack also wounds three
female students.

59. 59
Questions
Rick Nelson, CPP
Richard D. Nelson & Associates
Security Consultants
Board Certified in Security Management
(630) 805-1094 * Rnelson881@att.net

60. 60
About the Presenter
• After graduating from Aurora University with a degree
in Criminal Justice, Rick Nelson attended the Cook
County Sheriff’s Police Academy, graduating at the
head of the class of nearly 100 officers. During his
career in law enforcement, Nelson worked in several
positions at three municipal police departments in the
western suburbs. During his career, he served as a
crime scene technician, a field training officer,
armorer, firearms training officer and alternate watch
commander.
• Leaving public service, Nelson accepted a position
with a national distributor of office products based in
Chicago where he oversaw all operations and
administrative functions including safety and security,
HR and finance.
• Since 2008, Rick has been providing security
consulting services to a variety of industries focusing
on workplace violence prevention strategies through
facility security, employment policies, training and
conflict avoidance techniques.
• As a member of the American Society of Industrial
Security professionals (ASIS International), Rick has
been awarded the coveted designation of Certified
Protection Professional (CPP™), by demonstrating
competency in the areas of security solutions and
best-business practices through an intensive
qualification and testing program.
• Rick also serves on the F.B.I’s Critical Infrastructure
Protection program for the Chicago Region and has
lectured at a variety of events in the security industry
and non-profit sector. Rick Nelson, CPP