Sample Workplace Violence Policy

ABC Company is committed to maintaining a violence-free workplace. As a result, we have created this workplace violence policy, applicable to all of our team members. As a member of the ABC Company team, you need to familiarize yourself with this policy.

Statement of Policy

ABC Company has a duty to ensure a safe workplace for all employees. As part of our effort to ensure a consistently violence-free workplace, ABC Company has implemented this workplace violence policy. In order to ensure that all team members understand this policy, and to further compliance with it, all employees must read, acknowledge, and sign the affirmation at the end of this policy. By signing, employees acknowledge this understanding and affirm that they will follow the workplace violence policy of ABC Company. 

Unacceptable Conduct at ABC Company

ABC Company expressly prohibits any and all conduct that reasonably can be construed as being workplace violence. This includes direct and indirect conduct. The parameters of this workplace violence policy extends to the interior and exterior of buildings associated with the ABC Company was well as surrounding grounds. In addition, the ABC Company workplace violence policy extends to any offsite locations at which the business of the company may be undertaken from time to time. 

Unacceptable conduct at the ABC company includes, but is not limited to, the following conduct. The following conduct is strictly forbidden:

1. Instigating or engaging in a physical altercation of any kind.
2. Instigating or engaging in any other conduct that results in physical injuries to another person or that has the propensity to cause such injuries to another individual.
3. Making direct or indirect threats to another person.
4. Engaging in overtly hostile or aggressive conduct that causes another person to experience legitimate fear.
5. Engaging in overtly hostile or aggressive conduct that causes another person to experience emotional distress.
6. Deliberately vandalizing or damaging property belonging to ABC Company.
7. Deliberately vandalizing or damaging property belonging to another employee
8. Bringing a weapon to work
9. Being in possession of a weapon while representing ABC Company in any way or in any location.
10. Behaving in any manner that constitutes threats as part of a course of sexual harassment.

Reporting Workplace Violence

Maintaining a safe, violence-free workplace, employees must be able to report concerns about actual incidents of workplace violence. In addition, employees must be able to report concerns about the potential for such violence. 

Concerns about workplace violence as well as actual incidents of workplace violence are to be reported to the human resources manager of that individual’s designee without any fear of reprisal or retaliation. Workplace violence reports can be made anonymously. All appropriate steps will be taken to protect the identity of any reporting party. 

In addition to fully investigating bona fide reports pertaining to workplace violence, ABC Company will provide counseling for both the accused and any affected individual. This supportive counseling is provided at the expense of the company.

The outcome of any workplace violence investigation shall be shared with all relevant parties. ABC Company shall inform legal authorities of particular situations, if lawfully obliged to do so. In addition, at its discretion, ABC Company can elect to make such a report to law enforcement and other authorities.  

Limiting Risks Associated With Workplace Violence

Proper reporting reduces and limits the risks associated with workplace violence. ABC Company encourages all team members to consistently use good judgment and sound reasoning when identifying and reporting coworkers and others as being perpetrators of workplace violence. The same discretion needs to be used when reporting incidents of workplace violence. Examples of situations that warrant reporting include:

1. Conversations about dangerous weapons, including discussions of having access to such weapons while at the workplace or bringing these types of weapons to work.
2. Any person who displays obvious signs of emotional instability. These signs include anger, hostility, stress and similar emotions.
3. Any person who makes outright threats.
4. Any person who makes implied threats.
5. Any team member who demonstrates a dramatic change in job performance. 

Management will keep track of relevant incidents and associated reports. Management will create a plan to be implemented in the event of emergencies arising from reporting.

Identifying Vulnerable Team Members

Those responsible for human resources, together with management more generally, must establish criteria to be used to identify workers potentially more vulnerable to becoming victims of workplace violence. A person might be deemed more vulnerable because of prior experiences. In addition, at times the nature of the types of jobs of certain employees make them more vulnerable to workplace violence. More vulnerable employees are to be advised of specific measures that management intends to take to protect them in the workplace. 

Team Member Response to Emergency or Dangerous Situations

An employee who comes into contact with someone engaged in the commission of workplace violence using a dangerous weapon should not try to physically disarm them. A team member in such a position should attempt to remain calm, and keep eye contact with the perpetrator. The primary objective should be to attempt to talk to the perpetrator. An attempt should be made to alert company security, management personnel, and law enforcement. 

Understanding and Compliance With Workplace Violence Policy

All ABC Company team members are expected to both understand and comply by the provisions in this workplace violence policy. Specifically, each ABC Company team member must:

• Abide by all applicable security and safety measures that are implemented by the ABC Company from time to time.
• Actively participate in employee briefings, workplace safety training, and continuing education programs.
• Contribute ideas and suggestions relating to workplace safety issues, protocols, and programs.

Management’s Role in Combatting Workplace Violence

Management plays a significant role in developing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a meaningful, effective workplace violence polity. In this regard, the company will:

• Oversee applicable programs.
• Encourage employees to report persons or incidents of concern in a prompt fashion.
• Provide counseling and other relevant assistance to employees directly or indirectly affected by threatening or violent behavior in the workplace.
• Ensuring that protocols fully are in place to address potential or actual workplace violence.

The ABC Company workplace violence policy is subject to change at any time. By signing a copy of this document, the undersigned team member acknowledges reading the ABC Company workplace violence policies. 

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Employee

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Witnesss