As a background checking company, we pay special attention to all the reports of workplace violence. We believe that background checks are of major assistance in heading off the job applicants that are most likely to commit workplace violence. However, they are by no means any full guarantee. There is a first time for everything, and in this economic climate where people are depressed and consequently going through financial and domestic challenges, people with no real criminal history of violence may attempt to act out.
A terrific article in Philly.com, let’s hear it for my native town, details some of the issues following an incident of workplace violence. The article, entitled, Dealing with Emotions After Workplace Violence Comes to the Workplace, explores the shock and frustration among the surviving workers, the guilt feelings and the general disarray. There are helpful suggestions regarding how best to deal with this serious incident. The writer, Jane M. Von Bergen, has written one of the more interesting articles on this subject that I have seen in awhile.
As workplace violence has serious effects on many levels, I would urge employers and their human resource managers to read it.
