• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Increase Worker Safety January 2013 Acknowledgements This handbook was produced by the Ending Violence Association of British Columbia. EVA BC gratefully acknowledges the courage and generosity of the many anti-violence workers from across BC who so willingly shared their experiences and knowledge about violence in our workplaces by completing the Workplace-Related Violence and Worker Safety Survey. This handbook is an attempt to bring forward the reality of workplace violence in our sector and to examine best practices to enhance worker safety. We wish to thank Sarah Leavitt, who skillfully compiled and articulated the survey results, issues of violence in the workplace and strategies for optimizing worker safety and Tory Pearson for her work on layout design and formatting. The overall coordination of the handbook was done by Cathy Welch and editorial work was completed by Cathy Welch, Nila Somaia, Tracy Porteous, and Nancy Boyce of EVA BC. Cover art, Guarding the Bloom, generously donated by Sheila Norgate. This handbook was created for all the Community-Based Victim Service Workers, Stopping the Violence Counsellors and Stopping the Violence Outreach and Multicultural Outreach Workers, Sexual Assault/Woman Assault workers, their agencies, administration, relief, and other anti-violence workers from across BC who, in working to end violence against women, put themselves at risk of experiencing violence in the workplace. We gratefully acknowledge funding from Department of Justice Canada. ! Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC), 2013 Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Improve Worker Safety January 2013 2 Dedication Dedication in Memory of Bayush Hagos As this manual was being developed, our community of anti-violence workers across BC was shocked and devastated to learn of the death of Bayush Hagos, our friend and colleague. Bayush worked at Vancouver and Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services for 17 years and was well known to us all at EVA BC. She was famous for her huge heart and extending a helping hand to anyone she met. Her friends and co- workers remember her as someone who personified the word "support". Many of us remember that walking anywhere with Bayush took much longer than it usually would, as she would stop and talk with everyone she met, both friends and strangers. Bayush will be deeply missed. We dedicate this safety manual to her memory. Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Improve Worker Safety January 2013 3 Table of Contents Cover 1 Acknowledgements 2 Dedication 3 Table of Contents 4 Section One: Introduction 7 1.1 What is Workplace Violence? 8 1.2 The Experience of Anti-Violence Workers in BC 10 1.2.1 EVA BC Workplace Violence Survey Results 10 1.2.2 Special Issues for Anti-Violence Workers 14 1.3 A Note About Lateral Violence 18 Section Two: Responsibilities 19 2.1 Workplace Responsibilities 22 2.1.1 Legal Responsibilities 22 2.1.2 Policy and Procedures 24 2.1.3 Training for Employees 25 2.1.4 Caring for Workers After Violence 26 2.2 Worker Responsibilities 27 2.2.1 Self-Awareness 28 2.2.2 Knowledge 29 2.2.3 Self-Care 30 Section Three: For Discussion - Scenarios of Workplace Violence 31 3.1 My Client Just Lost It 32 Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Improve Worker Safety January 2013 4 Section Three: For Discussion - Scenarios of Workplace Violence 3.2 My Client’s Ex Stalked Me 34 3.3 My Ex-Partner Found Me 36 3.4 My Co-Workers Bullied Me 37 Section Four: Components of a Workplace Violence Prevention 38 Program 4.1 Written Policy 39 4.2 Regular and Specific Risk Assessments or Audits 39 4.3 Prevention Policies 39 4.4 Worker and Supervisor Training 40 4.5 Procedures for Reporting and Investigating Incidents 40 4.6 Incident Follow-Up 40 4.7 Program Review 41 Section Five: Best Practices 42 5.1 Creating a Safer Psychological Environment 43 5.2 Health and Safety Committees 45 5.3 Training 46 5.4 Safety Audit of the Workplace 47 5.5 Additional Measures to Increase Safety 49 5.5.1 Maintaining a Well Organized and Secure Work Site 49 5.5.2 Regular Safety Drills 51 5.5.3 Paying Attention to Meeting Location and Space 51 5.5.4 Procedures for Dealing with Suspicious Mail 52 Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Improve Worker Safety January 2013 5 Section Five: Best Practices 5.5 Additional Measures to Increase Safety 5.5.5 Guidelines & Protocols for Staff Working Alone/Off-Site 52 5.5.6 Guidelines & Protocols for Staff Leaving the Building Alone at Night and on Weekends 53 5.5.7 Visiting a Client at Home 53 Section Six: Policy Templates 54 6.1 Workplace Violence and Worker Safety Policy 56 6.2 Meeting Clients in the Community 57 6.3 Attending a Client’s Home 58 6.4 Risk Assessment Guidelines for Self and Others 60 6.5 Workplace Conduct 62 Section Seven: References 64 Section Eight: Appendices 66 8.1 Relevant Legislation 67 8.1.1 Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 67 8.1.2 Workers Compensation Act 69 8.1.3 Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 70 8.2 Resources 72 Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Improve Worker Safety January 2013 6 Section One: Introduction Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Improve Worker Safety January 2013 7 1.1 What is Workplace Violence? Workplace violence is any violence that happens in or is related to the workplace, and can range from bullying, harassment, threats and intimidation to physical or sexual assault. In the context of anti-violence programs, workplace violence may be committed by: • Clients attending the workplace for support services • Clients’ abusive partners, ex-partners, family members or gang members • Someone that the worker knows from outside of the workplace who comes into the workplace to commit violence (e.g. a worker’s own abusive partner or ex- partner who stalks her at work)1 • Co-workers or supervisors (often referred to as workplace harassment and/or bullying) As with any type of violence, workplace violence can have serious and lasting physical and psychological consequences. Not only is the worker who experiences violence affected herself, but also her co-workers, clients and the atmosphere and morale of the entire workplace. As a worker who has been the victim of violence tries to make sense of what has happened, those around them may also experience similar reactions and feelings. Anti-violence programs provide support for survivors of violence and abuse. In BC, the anti-violence programs that are under the umbrella of EVA BC include Stopping the Violence Counselling, Stopping the Violence Outreach and Multicultural Outreach Programs, Sexual Assault/Woman Assault Centres and Community-Based Victim Service programs. The central focus for the workers in all of these programs is increasing their clients’ safety from relationship violence, sexual violence, a myriad of forms of abuse and criminal harassment. The violence and abuse these programs respond to and that is most common in society, is perpetrated by men against women. Unfortunately, workers themselves are not immune from experiencing violence themselves as they carry out this important work. Examples of workplace violence, abuse and harassment that have been reported by EVA BC members include: 1 Although some anti-violence workers are men, the majority are women, and for that reason we use female pronouns throughout this manual. Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Improve Worker Safety January 2013 8 • Repeated phone calls or emails from clients’ abusive ex/partners, family members or gang members that interfered with workers’ daily activities • Clients’ ex/partners spreading rumours about workers online and in the community • Clients’ ex/partners watching workers’ homes, following them and/or their children • Clients verbally assaulting workers • Clients’ ex/partners/family members actually assaulting workers • Intimidation and threats of violence against workers by gang members affiliated with clients’ partners We also heard about: • A client’s partner setting fire to a worker’s car • Vandalizing of an anti-violence office • A worker receiving unwanted “gifts,” including dead flowers and raw meat • A worker receiving threats of harm to herself, family, pets and farm animals • A worker being grabbed by her client’s ex/partner when getting into her car Workplace Violence in Anti-Violence Programs: Strategies to Improve Worker Safety January 2013 9 1.2 The Experience of Anti-Violence Workers in BC EVA BC created this manual in response to repeated concerns expressed by our members. Anti-violence workers are experiencing workplace violence and are looking for ideas for how to stay safe. Anti-violence workers put women and children’s safety at the heart of their work and we want to help workers protect their own safety while they provide these critical services. Over the past several years, we have received numerous calls from frontline workers and administrators about work-related violence. This has also been a common topic on our annual teleconference calls. In 2010, we developed and distributed a survey about workplace violence and received many responses from workers across the province. The design of the survey drew on information that was gathered from our members and research of existing similar surveys2. 1.2.1 EVA BC Workplace Violence Survey Results The survey asked a series of questions about workplace violence. Sixty-four frontline and administrative personnel from anti-violence programs responded to our survey, with 45 (70%) indicating that they had experienced some kind of violence in the workplace.

Load more

  73

Copy Link