Bettac's tips came at BLR's National Employment Law Update, held recently in Las Vegas. Bettac, a partner with law firm Ogletree Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., in San Antonio, was joined in his presentation by Anthony Martin, of the firm's Las Vegas office.

 When meeting with a potentially violent person, says Bettac:

• Let others know when and where you are meeting
• Have a piece of furniture between you and the person you are diffusing—it helps to keep clear boundaries
• Situate yourself so you don't have to touch the subject accidentally in order to leave—he or she will see it as an aggressive move.
• Meet the person away from his peer group (violent people tend to act out in front of their peers
• Take care with clothing
• Men: tuck in your ties so the person cannot grab it
• Women: no heavy or thick necklaces or dangling earrings to grab
• Learn words and phrases that help (you want the bad guy to feel aligned with you):
• Us, We, Ours:
• Let's ...
• How About?
• What Do You Think About This?
• Is It Possible That?
• Ask Questions
• Use helpful body language
• Facing (not challenging but squared up)
• Arms extended slightly outward and upward (suggesting open and willing to work together, not needing to be in charge)
• Avoid negative body language:
• Arms crossed (I am bored, I already made up my mind)
• Hands in pockets, behind back (suggests being sneaky or evasive)

Finally, says Bettac,  make no sudden moves.

HR budget cuts? Let us help. HR.BLR.com^® is your one-stop solution for all your HR compliance and training needs. Take a no-cost, no-obligation trial and get a complimentary copy of our special report Critical HR Recordkeeping—From Hiring to Termination. It's yours—no matter what you decide.

Crisis Management Team

The first step in combating violence is the creation of a crisis management team (CMT), usually comprised of representatives of HR, risk management, legal, security, and management, says Bettac. Its primary duties are:

• Program development and administration
• Developing policies and procedures
• Conducting information campaign
• Making threat assessment
• Coaching managers/supervisors on workplace violence threats/incidents
• Serving as liaison to outside agencies (police, therapists, advisors)
• Being part of trauma response
• Acting as a resource

Thorough Applicant Screening

The first level of defense against violence is to weed out potentially violent employees through the applicant screening process, Bettac said. He recommends:

• Testing and Background Screening
• Resume verification & analysis
• Background checks (but beware  of FCRA)
• Medical & psychological testing (subject to ADA scrutiny)
• Interviewing
• Ask questions that will elicit signs of a propensity for violence
• "Tell me about supervisors you liked or disliked and why."

Audit Security Procedures

Do routine on-site audits of your security, says Bettac, including:

• Locks, lighting, landscaping
• Electronic access control system
• Alarm systems, metal detectors, video cameras
• Access control policies for vendors and visitors
• Signing in/out, identification badges, escorts

Also consider arranging escorts for employees concerned about walking into parking lots, and locking reception areas to prevent entry into the building.

Avoiding workplace violence—certainly an HR priority, but increasingly a challenge, what with changes in the laws, stretched budgets, over-worked people. And, of course, avoiding violence is just one of what, a couple of dozen recurring challenges you face? What about FMLA intermittent leave, overtime, ADA accommodation, and sexual harassment, to name just a few?

You need a go-to resource, and our editors recommend the "everything-HR-in-one website," HR.BLR.com. As an example of what you will find, here are some policy recommendations concerning e-mail, excerpted from a sample policy on the website:

Privacy. The director of information services can override any individual password and thus has access to all e-mail messages in order to ensure compliance with company policy. This means that employees do not have an expectation of privacy in their company e-mail or any other information stored or accessed on company computers.

E-mail review. All e-mail is subject to review by management. Your use of the e-mail system grants consent to the review of any of the messages to or from you in the system in printed form or in any other medium.

Find out what the buzz is all about. Take a no-cost look at HR.BLR.com, solve your top problem, and get a complimentary gift.

Solicitation. In line with our general nonsolicitation policy, e-mail must not be used to solicit for outside business ventures, personal parties, social meetings, charities, membership in any organization, political causes, religious causes, or other matters not connected to the company's business.

We should point out that this is just one of hundreds of sample policies on the site. (You'll also find analysis of laws and issues, job descriptions, and complete training materials for hundreds of HR topics.)

You can examine the entire HR.BLR.com program free of any cost or commitment. It's quite remarkable—30 years of accumulated HR knowledge, tools, and skills gathered in one place and accessible at the click of a mouse.

What's more, we'll supply a free downloadable copy of our special report, Critical HR Recordkeeping—From Hiring to Termination, just for looking at HR.BLR.com. If you'd like to try it at absolutely no cost or obligation to continue (and get the special report, no matter what you decide), go here.

More Articles on HR Policies and Procedures