Wells Fargo Insurance Services Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Michelle Cross, ARM, CPE, CBCP Senior Vice President November 18, 2009

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55 The Facts

Wells Fargo Insurance Services What is Violence?  Actions exerted for the purpose of violating, damaging or abusing  Physical and non-physical

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Just the threat of violence can render a company inoperative. There is no work without employees.

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Nature of Violence  Offensive language  Obscene phone calls  Harassment  Threats  Intimidation  Assault  Rape  Shooting  Stabbing  Suicide

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Magnitude  In 2007:  16,840 violent incidents at work (causing lost time)  In 2008:  794 homicides (16% occupational fatalities)

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Study 2005  7,361,560 establishments reported violent incident in prior 11 months  Criminal, Customer, Co-worker, Domestic  Impacts  Absenteeism  Insurance claims  Turnover  Fear levels  Morale

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Accident Ratio Study  Deaths  Aggravated Assault - Robbery, Rape  Simple Assault ,480

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Victim-Offender Relationships  Employment relationship  Personal relationships (real or perceived)  Recipient of goods/services/care  No relationship  they just want what you have, or  they want you to stop having it

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. *Fewer than 10 sample cases.” Victim Offender Relationships  Intimate  Other relative  Acquaintance – Coworker  Stranger

Wells Fargo Insurance Services “Typical” Offender  History of violent behaviors  Little or no criminal record  Fascination with weapons  Unstable work history  Alcohol / drug abuse  Family / marital problems  Poor relationships at work  Loner – socially isolated  Demonstrated emotional / mental instability  Works in high pressure setting  White male 30s and 40s

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Victim-Offender Relationship

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Escalating Behaviors Warning Signs  Inconsistent work patterns  Attendance problems  Behavior changes  Stress in personal life  Paranoia  Blaming others  Obsessive interest in coworker  Predicting harm to others  Intimidating/outlandish behavior  Testing limits of acceptable behavior

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Motivation for Violent Behavior at Work  Criminal behavior  Firing/layoff  Prejudice  Personal problems  Romantic obsession  Dissatisfaction with company  Interpersonal conflict  Anger about disciplinary action

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Factors Increasing Risk of Violence  Management’s failure to fulfill commitments  Poor labor-management relations  Inconsistent rules and discipline  Ineffective grievance procedures  Perception of employees as tools  Unclear goals and expectations  Poor relationships with co-workers and supervisor

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21 The Planning

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Prevention Begins with Planning  Create WPV policy statement  Assess and control hazards  Fair/Confidential HR Policies  Proactively manage stress  Report/investigate all incidents  Train/educate staff  Manage aggressive behavior

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Should include: Policy Statement  Zero tolerance for all forms of WPV  No weapons  Procedure for reporting and investigating  Define consequences for WPV  No reprisals for reporting violence  Senior management endorsed and supported

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Physical Security  Lighting (inside and outside)  Communications (phones, alarms, emergency phone numbers)  Security personnel (trained professionals)  Surveillance equipment  Controlled access  Limited access areas

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Sample Rings of Protection (US Chemical Industry)

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Fair & Confidential HR Policies  Hiring process  Background/reference checks  Supervisor/manager training  Discipline, termination techniques/policies  Substance abuse policies  Layoff/downsizing preplanning  WPV incident handling  Conflict resolution procedures

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Managing Stress Proactively  Planning for layoffs, downsizings, restructuring  EAP available to all staff  Integrity hotlines

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Training  People skills  Conflict resolution  Aggression management  Performance reviews  Disciplinary procedures  Hiring/interview process  Termination process

Wells Fargo Insurance Services 29 The Response

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Emergency Response  Shelter in Place vs. Evacuation  Track employees  Evacuation outside building  Sheltered / safe location  Drills  De-escalation

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Community Based Relationships  Establish relationships  Police  Emergency responders  Fire Department  Coordinate response

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Crisis Communications  First Priority is Emergency Communications  Protect Employees  Methods  Alarms / Signals  Differ by event  Automated messages

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Crisis Communications  TRAINED Spokesperson  Timely communications  Media  Families  Customers  Regulatory Agencies  Scripts  Rehearse

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Business Continuity Plan  Violence is a crisis event  Make sure BCP addresses human-centric events  Disruptions to operations  Employee Concerns  Possible Crime Scene  Unable to access job site

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Summary  People tend to view WPV incidents as instantaneous occurrences, however, there are typically many opportunities to interrupt the progression leading to the incident.  WPV is a risk that can usually be controlled IF management is willing to invest the time, effort & resources necessary to do so.  When WPV occurs, activate crisis plans immediately

Wells Fargo Insurance Services 38 Thank you! Michelle Cross © 2009 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. For public use.