PALM SPRINGS – Representing the Collision Industry Conference Human Resources Committee, Cory King began his presentation at the CIC Palm Springs meeting with a question to attendees: What is the most devastating thing that can happen to your company? King continued, “The answer is workplace violence. [Catastrophic acts of violence] happen all the time, every day. You can’t just hope that it won’t happen to you. It is important to know how to protect yourself, your employees, and your customers.”
King then explained how to formulate and enforce a plan to prevent violence in the workplace. He elucidated, “The first place to start is to have good policies, and you have to make sure your employees know about the policies.” Policies should prohibit fighting, horseplay, threats (verbal or physical), and practical jokes, as well as weapons. As King warned, while teasing or practical jokes may have innocent intentions, the situation could quickly escalate to violence.
King stressed the importance of being consistent in enforcing shop safety policies. He urged, “Take every threat seriously.”
A crucial aspect of being prepared for possible workplace violence is having a good relationship with local law enforcement, King advised. For example, if you are planning on terminating an employee who is known to react violently in the face of bad news, ask local law enforcement to be present when you terminate the employee to create the safest environment possible.
Addressing the issue of gun possession, King explained, “The standard policy is to have no weapons in the workplace. In recent years, more employers are asking for policies to allow concealed carry at work. Some states have laws that prohibit an employer from prohibiting legal concealed or open carry in the workplace. Be sure the check your state laws and think critically about what is safest and best for your shop when creating policies on weapons in the workplace.”
King concluded his presentation stating that having the “It won’t happen to me” mentality is putting your shop at risk. “It’s not an ‘if’; it’s a ‘when.’ You don’t want to find yourself unprepared.”
