| Co-worker to Co-worker Violence Prevention | | | | following: |
| training: | | | | Increase staff and managers confidence to |
| Many organizations are eagerly searching for the | | | | speak up |
| most cost effective and expedient way to | | | | Motivate staff to support co-workers |
| address and gain compliance with regulatory | | | | Provide realistic scenarios that challenge |
| requirements, particularly in Ontario (Bill 168). When | | | | participants to question and understand previous |
| it comes to the prevention of workplace violence | | | | choices of inaction (bullying, personal harassment, |
| and the management of conflict, the most critical | | | | rumours, negativity, aggression etc) |
| component is employee training. | | | | Acknowledge that most workers are |
| I am sure everyone has heard that co-workers | | | | reasonable, but often choose not to address the |
| don't just snap and become violent out of | | | | small percentage who are not |
| nowhere. There is usually a history of unmanaged | | | | As always, I recommend that you participate in |
| behaviours that lead to this very unlikely event. | | | | the proposed training and during the session really |
| As with customer violence, it is important to | | | | ask yourself "will this information be immediately |
| develop response plans in the event that violence | | | | useful to a majority of my staff?" "Will my |
| does erupt in the workplace. However, real | | | | employees feel they have what they need to |
| prevention is about the actions we (staff, | | | | professionally and reasonably address a variety of |
| supervisors) take early on. | | | | challenging conflicts"? |
| In any workplace we have trained or consulted | | | | Training can have an immense impact on creating |
| with, whether at a University or the Sanitation | | | | and maintaining a positive workplace culture, as |
| Department, most workers understand how to | | | | well as on employee safety. The training you |
| conduct themselves in a way that fosters, | | | | decide on can strengthen your position of |
| enhances, and is generally consistent with a | | | | compliance or it may weaken it. Remember, not |
| productive, professional, and respectful work | | | | all training is the same and not all curriculums were |
| environment. Generally, we find that there about | | | | designed for what the provider might suggest it's |
| 3 or 4 staff to every 100 that either refuse to | | | | for. Recognize that the management of customer |
| play by the rules or "just don't get it". So rather | | | | client violence differs from the management of |
| than merely educating reasonable staff on how to | | | | worker to worker conflicts. |
| behave or describing "what a respectful workplace | | | | Due to the emotionally charged nature of conflict |
| is", most employees, supervisors and managers | | | | and violence, employees are eager for a real |
| need the motivation, assertiveness and confidence | | | | world approach that provides solutions. Don't miss |
| to effectively speak up and manage conflict early | | | | an amazing opportunity to have your staff |
| on. Staff members also need to have the | | | | thanking you and the organization for the chance |
| confidence that their organization supports the | | | | to be a part of the training provided. Do the right |
| process of managing internal conflict. | | | | thing and think about their safety and compliance |
| An effective training program should achieve the | | | | will follow. |