Workplace violence not 'shop talk'

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ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  Workplace violence recently made national headlines at the Lockheed Martin plant in Meridian, Miss., where six people died and nine others were injured.

Officials here, at Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Force have a zero-tolerance policy on workplace violence, according to JoAnn Hutchison, the base’s workforce effectiveness branch chief. However, the perception of what constitutes workplace violence has been redefined since Sept. 11, 2001.

The term "workforce violence" she said brings to mind physical attack or assault, Hutchinson said, but conversation that was once considered "shop talk" may no longer be appropriate.

Supervisors have the responsibility to set the standard by not engaging in or condoning the use of threatening language or acts which may have been considered acceptable “shop talk” in the past, Hutchison said.

Lt. Col. William Wall, the chief of AFMC’s quality-of-life division, encouraged people to take that one step further. He said supervisors and co-workers ought to be able to sense when people are reaching their limit and could become violent.

"Supervisors should have the kind of relationship with their subordinates that they can tell when people are getting upset or things are bothering them," Wall said. "It's a little too far down the road when people start verbalizing threats or come in to work with a gun or otherwise wanting to hurt someone."

Workplace violence is now defined as any specific acts, words, comments or conditions that would lead a person to reasonably believe a violent act will occur, Hutchison said.

Incidents involving threatened or actual violence continue to be taken seriously, according to Hutchison.

Actions or threats of violence will not be tolerated and will be dealt with appropriately, she said. Disciplinary actions taken for violence-related incidents could include removal from employment.

She said the level of discipline warranted depends on a number of factors that include, but are not limited to, the work history of the employees involved, the victim's perception of the incident and the severity of the employee's action.

"All of us must take threats of violence seriously," Hutchison said. "It's not appropriate to joke about guns or bombs or vocalize intent to harm another, even in jest. If you engage in this type of behavior, you should expect to be questioned by your supervisor or security forces personnel and potentially disciplined."

In AFMC, officials are focusing on prevention, according to Wall.

"Everyone in AFMC has the annual requirement to attend suicide prevention training as well as workplace violence training to allow us to do all we can to nip this in the bud,” he said. “We don't have a big problem with this in AFMC, but one case is too many." (Courtesy of AFMC News Service)