| The key tenet of health and safety law is that | | | | behaviour when they call or turn up at the 'front |
| employers must not put staff in situations which | | | | line' next time, particularly if they perceive their |
| pose a risk to their health and well-being. This | | | | aggression worked first time round. |
| concept is well understood and practiced where | | | | 3: Organisation level: If the aggression persists or |
| employers recognise physical situations such as | | | | is repeated regularly (daily or weekly), the |
| not exposing staff to faulty equipment or to the | | | | supervisor/manager should involve senior |
| possibility of slips and trips. It is less well practiced | | | | managers. Decisions taken at this level might |
| when the health and well-being of staff are put at | | | | include requesting that the customer only |
| risk from exposure to customers' aggression. | | | | communicates with the organisation in writing, or |
| Managing the impact of customer aggression | | | | speaks with a manager only, or attends a specific |
| seems less clear cut than managing the risks to | | | | location to access the service, or in extreme |
| staff from equipment failure. However the impact | | | | circumstances, the service might be withdrawn. |
| of being constantly on the receiving end of | | | | We frequently meet staff who have to deal with |
| emotion loaded customer frustrations can be | | | | the same known aggressive people ringing or |
| severe, including extreme stress and burnout. | | | | calling daily or weekly. Staff can live in dread of |
| Organisations have a legal duty to do all they can | | | | these encounters as they can be very stressful |
| to support staff dealing with customer aggression. | | | | to handle. Organisations have a duty to manage |
| In practice this means playing an active part in | | | | these situations regardless of the customers' |
| managing the behaviour of customers. | | | | circumstances. This can be a difficult concept to |
| Organisations should look at the management of | | | | accept for managers and staff with vulnerable |
| customers' behaviour at three levels, namely: | | | | clients. However some time and discussion with |
| 1: Individual level: The staff member attempts to | | | | staff on what can be done to manage customer |
| manage the conflict directly with the customer. | | | | aggression and on the support staff feel they |
| Staff should be trained on how to recognise and | | | | need can be a very fruitful exercise. |
| separate the issue under discussion from the | | | | Support for staff should include addressing what |
| customer's behaviour, and how to manage that | | | | the Health and Safety Executive outlined as the |
| behaviour effectively. If a staff member cannot | | | | key standards to reduce stress. Included in these |
| calm the situation, the customer should be | | | | standards are the requirements to provide staff |
| directed on to a supervisor or manager. | | | | with more control over their work, manage their |
| 2: Supervisor/manager level: The supervisor or | | | | demands better, and increase their support |
| manager should aim to calm the customer down | | | | through formal debriefing, supervision and conflict |
| by again attempting to address the customer's | | | | management training. There are many benefits to |
| behaviour. There is frequently an automatic down | | | | doing this well. Better motivated, supported, and |
| shift in a customer's aggression level when they | | | | confident staff leads to improved customer |
| perceive a 'win' by getting through to a manager. | | | | service levels! |
| Unfortunately this does not always improve their | | | | |