TITLE: PREVENTING WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
Policy 3.45
Rev. July 2023
A. SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT The safety of Kokua Services’ employees, clients, volunteers and visitors is an important concern to the organization. Disruptive behavior, threats, threatening behavior or acts of violence against employees, clients, volunteers, visitors or others while on Kokua Services’ property or the property of Kokua Services’ clients will not be tolerated. Violations of this policy will lead to disciplinary action, possible dismissal, and criminal prosecution as appropriate. Definitions: Disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to, yelling, using profanity, waving arms or fists, verbally abusing others, and refusing reasonable requests. Threatening behavior includes, but is not limited to, physical actions short of actual contact or injury (moving aggressively into another's personal space), general oral or written threats to people or property ("You better watch your back." "I'll get you."), and implied threats ("You'll be sorry." "This isn't over."). Violent behavior includes, but is not limited to, any physical assault, with or without weapons; behavior that a reasonable person would interpret as being potentially violent (throwing things, pounding one's fist on a desk or door, or destroying property), or specific threats to inflict physical harm. Threats include, but are not limited to, threatening statements made in person, in writing, through a third party or through social media. Warning indicators of potential workplace violence: Intimidating, harassing, bullying, belligerent, or other inappropriate and aggressive behavior. Numerous conflicts with clients, co-workers, or supervisors. Bringing a weapon to the workplace, making inappropriate references to guns, or making idle threats about using a weapon to harm someone. Statements showing fascination with incidents of workplace violence, statements indicating approval of the use of violence to resolve a problem, or statements indicating identification with perpetrators of workplace homicides. Statements indicating desperation (over family, financial, and other personal problems) to the point of contemplating suicide. Direct or veiled threats of harm. Substance abuse. Extreme changes in normal behaviors. B. WEAPON-FREE WORKPLACE Weapons of any kind are prohibited on Kokua Services property. Employees, visitors and volunteers are prohibited from bringing weapons to the clients’ homes. Weapons include, but are not limited to, guns, knives, clubs, spears, swords or nunchaku.