Corporate Counseling Associates Offers Workplace Violence Prevention Services

Corporate Counseling Associates (CCA) is encouraging employers to take active steps to address the threat of workplace violence, following high-profile tragedies such as the Virginia Tech shooting and other incidents.

ìWeíve seen a resurgence of interest in recent weeks,î says Robert Levy, president of CCA. CCA provides consulting and training aimed at preventing workplace violence, which gives managers and organizations the needed tools and skills to anticipate situations, deal with threats of violence and develop a corporate response following a crisis.

ìThe key to preventing threats of violence is being able to identify the signs and symptoms of the ëat riskí employee and workplace,î Levy adds. ìMany organizations today are overreacting to the issue, which is common after such high-profile incidents. Employers shouldnít ignore the problem, but they also shouldn't over-react, then ignore it again after the crisis is addressed.î

CCA encourages employers to take a thoughtful and reasoned approach by establishing an anti-violence team and policies, and undergoing violence prevention training. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 30 percent of U.S. employers have a workplace violence prevention policy, and 21 percent of U.S. organizations provide training on the prevention and reporting of workplace violence.

Companies should also focus on managers as well as employees -- in previous cases, some incidents were triggered by abusive managers. CCAís services examine how a managerís personality style and the work environment can contribute to a potentially violent confrontation.

CCA addresses a spectrum of issues for clients, including:

ï Defining workplace violence and hostility.
ï The potentially violent individual.
ï Performance management as prevention.
ï Responding to threats of violence and crises and defusing potentially dangerous situations.
ï Restoring a sense of safety and security within the organization following an act of violence.

While the Virginia Tech shootings are a high-profile example, Levy notes that everyday statistics are equally disturbing. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 1.8 million incidents of assault take place annually in the workplace; one of out every six deaths in the workplace results from violence. Homicide accounts for 12 percent of job related deaths per year.

ìBesides loss of life, problems attributable to workplace violence include absenteeism, turnover, productivity and morale,î Levy notes. ìOnly proactive and aggressive intervention by organizations will create a safe, zero-tolerance work environment.î