President’s Pen
by Betty Lonis, SPHR

As summer officially comes to an end, we at HRACI are just beginning to embark on some important initiatives. The first of which was our August monthly program, which was the first program this year, which was approved for 1.0 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute. We plan to continue offering programs for recertification credits throughout the year. In fact, our September annual compensation and benefits update half-day conference is approved for 4.0 recertification credit hours. I hope you will be able to join us – this is always one of our most popular programs of the year.

The second initiative is our membership drive. As we announced last month, we are offering new members the opportunity to join HRACI at the normal new member fee of $100, however, this fee will cover membership for the rest of 2003, all of 2004 AND all of 2005. Existing members benefit as well. For every three new members existing members “sponsor”, you receive a $20 gift certificate to Simon malls. Sponsor three and get $20, sponsor six and get $40, etc. In addition, the person sponsoring the most new members will receive one of our REALLY cool HRACI shirts! For questions or additional details, please contact Roger Greenawalt at vpmembership@hraci.org.

The third initiative is our PHR/SPHR certification study group. We are pleased to offer two separate study groups at two different locations this fall. One group will meet on the north side at Conseco and the other will meet on the south side at the Jackson Group. These study groups are a great benefit to our members and we’re pleased to offer two locations to meet your needs. For additional information, please contact Kelly Gangl at
certification@hraci.org.

In addition, we’re continuing to work with the committees to meet the goals and objectives we developed earlier this year, identify new initiatives and continue to meet the needs of our membership.

Please feel free to contact me at (317) 277-5345 or president@hraci.org.

I look forward to seeing you at the September half-day conference!

Topic: Annual Compensation & Benefits Update (Half day conference)

Speakers: Bob Miller, Marsh; Leslie Lynch, Mutual of Omaha; Terri Jackson, Hylant Group; Cheryl Michael, Michael Consulting; Jeff McKinney, FlashPoint; and Bob Roeder, Mercer.

This program has been approved for 4.0 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

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Did you know? The SHRM Foundation funds up to $10,000 per year in Education Matching Grants to SHRM chapters. Each year, matching grants of $1,000 to $2,500 per chapter are available to support chapter school-to-work initiatives. School-to-work programs offer chapter members the opportunity to do something for their communities, and to help develop the skilled workforce they'll need in the future. Business partnerships with students, teachers, schools and school districts are essential to overcome the deficiency in basic skills that often exists. Through these programs, students develop workforce readiness skills, gain work experience, and learn about career opportunities. To learn more about the matching grant program, please visit www.shrm.org/foundation.

The SHRM Foundation: Leadership for Changing Times.

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-Adapted from Iowa Employment Law Letter,
written by attorneys at the law firm Pingel & Templer, P.C.
http://www.HRhero.com/iaemp.shtml

by Barbara M. Tapscott Pingel

Sadly, it isn't uncommon to hear news reports of workplace violence. Too many times employers have had to deal with the tragic aftermath of an employee who has become violent and taken it out on co-workers. Keep in mind that tough economic times involving layoffs, reductions in force, and small wage increases can put pressure on employees. Similarly, the demographics of today's workforce mixing "seniors," baby boomers, and Generation Xers can create problems with communication, disagreements, and even violence.

There isn't just the obvious fear about someone being hurt.
There's also the concern of employer liability because you
were negligent in hiring and supervising a violent employee.
Workplace violence also results in lost workdays, low morale,
health care expenses, loss of productivity, and increased
stress.

What is workplace violence?

There are a number of definitions of workplace violence. The
simplest definition is "any actual or threatened physical or
verbal abuse occurring in the work setting." That includes
such conduct as beatings, stabbings, suicides, rapes,
psychological trauma, threats or obscene calls, intimidation,
harassment of any kind, stalking, and being sworn or shouted
at. Other examples of workplace violence may include:

• verbally threatening to inflict bodily harm;
• attempting to cause physical harm by striking, pushing, or other aggressive acts;
• using verbal harassment, abusive or offensive language or gestures, or other discourteous conduct;
• engaging in disorderly conduct, shouting, throwing or pushing objects, punching walls, or slamming doors;
• making false, malicious, or unfounded statements that tend to damage reputations or undermine authority; or
• making inappropriate remarks or delusional statements.

There are a variety of perpetrators of workplace violence.
They may include full-time employees, part-time employees, ex-employees, contract workers, independent contractors,
consultants, vendors, customers or clients, spouses, ex-
spouses, "significant others," and strangers.

Warning signs for potential violence

Employees who are prone to commit workplace violence often
provide warning signs before the violent act. Be aware of the
general profile of a potentially violent employee, and heed
the following warning signs:

• a criminal record or history of violent behavior, including a history of domestic violence;
• serious personal or family problems, such as divorce, death of a relative or close friend, or bankruptcy;
• statements indicating depression (over family, financial, and other personal problems) to the point of contemplating suicide;
• direct or veiled threats that some violent action will take place;
• a significant change in behavior, such as mood swings, outbursts, or insubordination;
• a significant decline in work performance;
• paranoid behavior;
• an inability to accept criticism;
• drug and/or alcohol abuse;
• tendencies to be a loner - someone obsessed with the job but not involved with others;
• revenge by an employee who is fired for conduct that he feels wasn't committed;
• times of downsizing and restructuring in which employees may feel their jobs are threatened;
• intimidating, belligerent, harassing, bullying, or other inappropriate and aggressive behavior;
• management's tolerance of employees who harass, coerce, and intimidate others;
• numerous conflicts with supervisors and other employees;
• an employee bringing a weapon to the workplace, making inappropriate references to guns, or showing a fascination with weapons; or
• statements showing a fascination with incidents of workplace violence, approving of the use of violence to resolve a problem, or indicating identification with perpetrators of workplace homicide.

The U.S. Postal Service studied 15 assailants involved in acts of violence in postal service facilities and found that 14 had something in common - a history of violence, substance abuse, mental health problems, and/or criminal convictions. The report indicated that five of the individuals should never have been hired because of their earlier behavior, including making threats at previous jobs.

Measures to safeguard employees

The U.S. Postal Service has developed a four-point approach:

1. Selection:

• Do in-depth background screenings before hiring, including a review of the criminal history.
• Conduct drug testing.
• Require a 90-day probationary period.

2. Security:

• Set up a hot line so employees can report problems and threatening situations.
• Install security doors and other protective measures.
• Secure the workplace from outsiders.

3. Policy:

• Take a zero-tolerance approach to workplace violence.
• Environment and culture:
• Provide supervisory personnel with training on handling adverse employment sessions or termination interviews with potentially violent workers.
• Take all veiled threats seriously.
• Use threat assessment teams to analyze incidents involving stalking, assaults, threats, bullying, or other discord.
• Establish and/or remind employees of your employee assistance plan.

Those measures can't guarantee a workplace free of violence.
But if a few prudent steps can help just one employee, they're worth taking. Consider adopting the measures in your workplace.

Additional Resources

HR Executive Special Report:
Workplace Violence & Employer Liability (free online for Employment Law Letter subscribers)
http://www.hrhero.com/special.shtml#violence

Copyright 2003 M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC. This article contributed by Iowa Employment Law Letter. Read more about the print newsletter and its editors at http://www.HRhero.com/iaemp.shtml

Courtesy of Iowa Employment Law Letter and the attorneys at the law firm Pingel & Templer, P.C.. For more information about state-specific employment law newsletters in other states (including Indiana), please click to www.HRhero.com or call 800-274-6774.

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The SHRM Fall 2003 Seminars are coming to a location near you.....

Listed below are the Fall 2003 Professional Development Seminars being offered through SHRM:

The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy and Performance
October 20-22, 2003 - New York, NY
October 27-29, 2003 - Chicago, IL

The HR Generalist Certificate Program
October 20-22, 2003 - Chicago, IL
October 27-29, 2003 - Atlanta, GA
November 3-5, 2003 - Las Vegas, NV
November 10-12, 2003 - Dallas, TX
November 17-19, 2003 - Washington, DC
December 1-3, 2003 - Tampa, FL

The Certification Preparation Course
October 15-17, 2003 - Washington, DC
October 20-22, 2003 - San Diego, CA
November 3-5, 2003 - Atlanta, GA
November 10-12, 2003 - New York, NY
November 17-19, 2003 - Miami, FL

The Advanced HR Generalist Certificate Program
November 3-5, 2003

Compensation Basics
November 10, 2003

Variable Compensation
November 11, 2003

Introduction to Employee Benefits (U.S.)
November 12, 2003

The Fundamentals of Human Resource Management
October 23-24, 2003
October 30-31, 2003
November 6-7, 2003

Conflict Management at Work: Collaboration Skills for Human Resources Practioners
November 17-19, 2003 - Dallas, TX

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