HR Management & Compliance

Where Would I Hide? Preventing Workplace Violence and Employee Anxiety

by Susan Schoenfeld, JD

I had only been working for the federal government for about 6 months in 1991 when former postal worker, Thomas McIlvane, walked into the U.S. Post Office in Royal Oak, Michigan and shot and killed four supervisors. He also wounded five of his former coworkers before killing himself.

I was not in Michigan that day, but I wondered: What would I do if a shooter walked into my office building? Where would I hide? My sparse office had a door that did not lock, a small desk, a file cabinet and a chair—none of which would provide protection against a gunman.

Now, fast forward to 2016, and we find ourselves in the midst of a devastating trend of workplace violence. The very real threat of violence in the workplace leads me to think, how many employees look at their surroundings today and still wonder—What would I do? Where would I hide?

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