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Block 3 Human Resource Laws

Unit 3 Laws Related To Work Place Violence And Harassment

1) What do you understand by the term ‘work place violence’? Explain the different types of work place violence.

Understanding Workplace Violence

• Workplace violence is defined as incidents where people are abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances related to their work. This includes any act of aggression, physical assault, or threatening behaviour occurring between employees, or between employers and employees. It can cause both physical and emotional harm to individuals involved. Broadly, workplace violence also encompasses acts of sabotage on work property.
• Workplace violence is a serious issue that can negatively impact the quality and service of employees, and the overall output of an organisation. It is often used by individuals to get something they want, whether tangible (like money) or intangible (like being left alone).
• The effects of workplace violence can range from threats and bullying to verbal abuse, physical assault, sexual harassment, and even murder.

Types of Workplace Violence:

• Criminal Violence: Violence committed by someone with no connection to the workplace or its employees, usually involving robbery as the primary motive.
• Service User Violence: Violence that occurs when an employee or customer is dissatisfied with the working conditions or services provided by the organisation or employer. This type of violence stems from frustration or emotional conflict.
• Worker-on-Worker Violence: Violence perpetrated by employees against their colleagues, supervisors, or managers. This can stem from grievances, reactions to disciplinary actions, or protests against redundancies.
• Violence can be further categorised as non-physical (intimidation, abuse, threats) or physical (punching, kicking, pushing), or aggravated physical violence (use of weapons).

2) How can you stop the occurrence of work place violence?

Preventing Workplace Violence

Organisations can take several proactive steps to reduce the likelihood of workplace violence:

• Establish Clear Policies: Develop and enforce explicit rules and norms regarding workplace behaviour, making it clear that threats, intimidation, property damage, and violence will not be tolerated.
• Training Programmes: Conduct periodic training to raise awareness among employees about workplace violence, how to report it, and its effects.
• Careful Recruitment: Screen potential candidates during recruitment, avoiding those with a criminal background or history of violence.
• Identify Warning Signs: Be vigilant for signs of potential violence such as arguments or unusual behaviours. Managers should address these issues promptly.
• Detect and Avoid: Be aware of the profile of potentially violent individuals: males between 35 and 55, who are going through a midlife crisis, are isolated, have low self esteem and work in high turnover jobs. Certain behaviours may indicate a potential for violence such as attendance problems, decreased productivity, inconsistent work patterns, poor relationships, safety issues and poor hygiene. Also be aware of statements of intent and repeated reports.
• Provide Counseling: Offer employee assistance programmes to help workers cope with stress at home or in the office.
• Workplace Monitoring: Implement tools to monitor violence, track trends and support interventions.
• Post-Event Support: Develop plans for group and individual efforts to support and stabilise staff after a violent event.

3) Describe the different types of harassment at work place.

Workplace harassment involves actions that make an employee or group of employees feel uncomfortable or create a hostile work environment. It can be based on factors such as race, gender, culture, age, sexual orientation or religious preference.

Types of Harassment:

• Workplace Bullying: Repeated, harmful mistreatment, verbal abuse, or intimidating conduct that interferes with work, and aims to embarrass or dishonour an employee.
  • Pair bullying: between two people, one active bully and one silent observer.
  • Serial Bullying: one person targets and attacks a series of employees one after the other.
  • Group bullying: mistreatment or bullying from formal or informal groups.
  • Pressurising or coercive bullying: a boss or supervisor forces subordinates to work beyond scheduled hours or without resources.
  • Cyberbullying: Using technology to harm an individual through emails, messages and junk mail.
    • Bullying behaviours can include threats to professional status, threats to personal standing, and seclusion.
• Workplace Discrimination: Any conduct, action, behaviour or decision taken against an employee based on prejudice, or characteristics like age, sex, race or culture.
• Sexual Harassment: Threats, pressure, or bullying based on the sex of an employee, including promises of rewards for sexual favours and unwelcome sexual behaviour, whether direct or indirect.

4) Suggest different ways through which an organisation can try to cope up with the incidences as well as outcomes of work place violence and harassment.

Coping with Workplace Violence and Harassment

Organisations should take a multi-faceted approach to handle the effects of workplace violence and harassment:

• Develop Protocols: Establish clear procedures for reporting and addressing incidents of violence or harassment.
• Provide Support: Offer counselling and emotional support to victims of violence or harassment. Ensure that victims get the support they need when reporting incidents.
• Enforce Policies: Implement disciplinary measures against employees found guilty of violent or harassing behaviour.
• Promote Communication: Encourage open communication and provide avenues for employees to express grievances freely.
• Fair Treatment: Ensure fair treatment and equal opportunities for all employees.
• Redefine Organisation: Examine all activities and evaluate their impact on all employees' opportunities for growth and success within the organisation..
• Form Committees: Create committees to facilitate victim employees with complaints.
• Ensure Work-Life Balance: Promote work-life balance to minimise stress and prevent conflicts.
• Train Leaders: Provide training in communication, leadership and interpersonal skills, and how to invoke trust and motivate employees.
• Family Programs: Organise family involvement programs and activities to allow employees to balance their personal and work lives.
• Employee Counselling: Provide counselling services to help employees deal with personal or work-related problems.
• Legal Compliance: Understand and adhere to relevant laws and regulations regarding workplace violence and harassment such as the Workers Compensation Act of 1951, the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (1987), the Federal Law against Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Federal Law through Equal Pay Act.

Important Points

• The service user kind of violence takes place when the employee is unsatisfied in any aspect with the working conditions or services of the organisation or the employer.
• Work place violence refers to any kind of an act that involves aggression, physical assault, or threatening behaviour between two or more than two persons within an organisation or work place.
• The act of workplace violence is used by individuals in order to get what they want, which may include tangible (e.g., money) or intangible things (e.g., to be left alone, or to scare people off).

• Acts of violence can lead to a poor image for the organisation.
• The work place violence can also result in domestic violence. Non-physical workplace violence can lead to domestic violence, where victims may become abusive to family members.
• The best method to avoid work place violence is to form and adopt certain rules and norms. Creating and enforcing clear policies against violence is a key step in prevention.

• Under coercive type of work place bullying, the boss or the supervisor forces the subordinates to work, beyond the prescribed time schedule or without appropriate resources. Coercive bullying involves forcing subordinates to work beyond their scheduled hours or without the necessary resources.
• Cyberbullying uses information technology, not group bullying. Group bullying is when groups mistreat or bully employees.
• Bullying often includes humiliating an employee’s work or efforts.

• Sexual harassment is a kind of threat, pressure, coercion or bullying and is totally on basis of sex of the victim employee or employees.
• Discrimination at work place refers to any kind of conduct, action, behaviour or decision which is taken against an employee on basis of some prejudice or filthy beliefs.
• Work place discrimination has a negative effect on the transactions of the organisation and also hampers the company’s reputation.