Violence in the Workplace

How to Reduce Your Odds

Every week, we read in the newspaper about some employee “going postal,” killing an employer or killing a fellow worker. Last year, in Oklahoma City, while the owner of the local AAMCO center was sitting in his office, the former husband of his center manager walked in and demanded to see her. The owner indicated that she was busy. The former husband pulled out a gun, shot the owner in the head - killing him instantly - and then proceeded to shoot the female manager three times. Recently, in Los Angeles, an employee stabbed the owner of a tire store with a screwdriver over a dispute on the use of the employee's tools. Even more recently, the owner of a Fort Lauderdale paint shop was killed by an irate customer who did not like the paint job on his new Pontiac.

How do we avoid becoming a headline? We know we live in a violent society with easy access to weapons. The FBI's Behavioral Science Section tells us that approximately 3 percent of our population is predatory by nature. Through drug use, alcohol use or mental illness, these 3 percent are unpredictable and pose a threat to us all. With this statistic in mind, do not set yourself up to be a victim.

We have no need to live in fear, but we cannot develop an attitude that “this can never happen to me.” We need to be realistic and accept how our own attitude and demeanor influences others. Take a class in conflict resolution. Try to be a calming influence when tempers rise as opposed to accelerating the conflict.

We may not always be able to pick customers, but we can pick our employees. Do proper background checks. It is important to know if an employee has the propensity to commit violence. If so, he or she may have a drug or alcohol problem, or mental illness. Any of these can cause abnormal behavior, so you want to surround yourself with safe, stable, competent and reliable personnel.

If you think you have a potentially violent customer, communicate this concern with your employees and the police department. If nothing else, you have documentation and a report can be taken. Develop a plan of action with your employees so that if this customer comes in, you can have someone assist you in case the customer tries to follow through with his or her threat.

You need to realize these threats are extremely rare and may never happen. However, if you develop a safety plan, you may save yourself a great deal of grief.

A .45-caliber automatic pistol in the top drawer is not the answer to safety. Your calm demeanor, attitude and the ability to compromise and defuse a situation is an attribute in our society. He or she who shouts the loudest is certainly not always the winner. The true professionals always maintain emotional control.

A good law enforcement officer thinks through potential situations before they occur, so they are mentally prepared. They rehearse in their minds what they would do in particular situations so they are prepared to handle the real thing. You should do the same thing. For example, when you terminate an employee, have a witness and place yourself in your office so that you can extract yourself and the witness if necessary. If you are dealing with a customer who becomes extremely upset and angry, extract yourself from the room and go to a larger area where your employees can watch and assist you if necessary.

In closing, your own intuition is your best ally. If something does not feel right, do not put yourself in a compromising situation. Be proactive in minimizing the violence in your workplace and in doing so you are already ahead of the game. If you assume an attitude that “this will never happen to me,” you won't be properly prepared if you're wrong. Remember: even John Wayne got beat sometimes.

Rick Allison is the shop manager of AAMCO Transmissions in Eugene, Ore. He is also a member of ASA's Mechanical Division Operations Committee. Allison has been a member of ASA since 1994.

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AutoInc. Magazine ® Vol.XLIX, April 2001 E-mail: info@autoinc.org, Web Site: http://www.autoinc.org
Copyright © 2001 Automotive Service Association (ASA). All rights reserved.