Home: Message List - Managers not prepared for work place violence

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

vistasad — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:16:36 GMT

There are a few general points I'd like to make. Firstly the US has had a more violent culture in society than say Canada or the West Europe. In a country like India violence has jumped like crazy in the past 15 years both in society and the workplace. Fortunately there firearms are not so easy to procure.
We routinely do a check of every new hire. If the person appears to have a minor 'crime' we talk to him and watch him/her carefully. Giving a person a second chance is important in my scheme of things.

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

babyjoy214 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:41:07 GMT

Yes, situations need to be considered. I am a nursing graduate and I've learned in my study that when it comes to personality, it is much affected by the persons childhood. If we say a person is molesting a child, there is a big chance that he was also molested. Therapy or Rehabilitation is necessary after his first offense.

My point is, there is also a second chance for this type of person, but it is very very risky, there is no other treatment for this things except for rehabilitation, consider his rehabilitation and his progress there, not just because he had this record.

In this world, I believe there are only few that are like you, who employed x-convicts and I salute you for that. i mean some businesses give high regards on background checks, if you had an offense definitely you're diqualified, I do hope there will be more people like you. ex-convicts, ex-rehabs have lost their self worth while experiencing those things they did, they still need to see that they are still human and functional..

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

Lighthouse24 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:28:53 GMT

In most cases, the result of a background check doesn't automatically qualify or disqualify anyone from employment -- it merely provides information to the employer.

I once hired two welders with criminal records (one for assault, one for DUI) because neither person's past offense was relevant to job at hand -- yet the information did give me the "heads-up" to watch for pre-cursors of a violent outburst or signs of alcohol use on the job. Neither occurred, but I well-positioned to head off a reportable incident if a potnetial problem had arisen.

In contrast, the daycare operation near my office conducts background checks, and in their case, a conviction for child abuse, child molestation, etc. will automatically disqualify an applicant for employment. Shouldn't it -- or does the person who already molested two children deserve a third chance with your child?

Again, every situation is different and a background check doesn't force employers to do anything -- it merely gives them additional information to help protect their businesses, employees, and customers from recognized risks.

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

babyjoy214 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:13:41 GMT

Hi Sandy!

I see your point that we have to be sure on the peoplr who we work with, it's kinda unfair on the other hand for the people who wants to be given a chance. I mean if you had a record once or twice and was for some time now and you can see he is eager for work, still the chance is rejected because of this background check.

Everybody is allowed for their second chances, maybe the man started the violence in the report but what would be the story behind? maybe he was provoked..

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

Iwrite — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:13:38 GMT

Lighthouse, I think for some of us this is more than a simple step, it is a reflection of how we see people in general, how we see the world.

I understand that there are a lot of things I could do to protect my business, I just feel that if I do some of what we are talking about here - it isn't my business.

Because I don't do a background check doesn't mean I am careless in my hiring practice. I know you didn't say that, but I wanted to put it out there.

If I was hiring people, the person I hire is someone I have to work with for an extended period of time, I will spend more than an hour talking with a person to get a better idea of who I am dealing with, then I ask them if they are willing to do freelance to get a better idea of how we work together. After all of that, I make my decision.

Fortunately, when I do hire someone, I am looking to hire people I have worked with over the years that I know well. So, my situation is different. Starting out, I will not be hiring strangers. They will be no cash register, and my accountant will have an accountant. And I will sign all the checks, personally. It is my business.

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

mainstreetifs — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:53:28 GMT

Very interesting topic. I am in the insurance business but I place a lot of my problem clients (poor management/HR duties, struggling financially, lots of lost time and workers' comp claims) with a professional employer organization (PEO) that does background checks, drug tests and pre employment physicals for all employees and new hires (they are all new hires when you enter into an employee leasing agreement). Many of these companies are small construction or manufacturing firms, towing companies, trucking companies, 24 hour restaurant chains like Denny's or IHOP, fast food chains...

From experience I will tell you that the easiest way to avoid employee issues is to not hire employees with issues. Background checks, drug tests and pre employment physicals avoid employees with issues. People with problems simply don't apply to work for you when you screen them. I have seen dozens of companies change for the better when they get control of their hiring practices.

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

Lighthouse24 — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:24:22 GMT

Puzzleman, I offered my professional perspective on a serious workplace issue. Like any other post here, members can agree or not -- use the information or not. You're a "not" (at least in this case) -- I get that.

For me, a background check has nothing to do with fear, pessimism, or excluding people from employment opportunities. It's a simple step -- like wiping up slip hazards on the dining room floor, cleaning prep surfaces in the kitchen of bacteria, or ensuring that refrigerated foods are at the proper temperature. It's just one of the many processes a business owner can use to protect customers and employees.

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

puzzleman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:30:59 GMT

No, my lawyer did not say that is was not ok to do background checks. I never asked him.

If I wasn't an optimistic person, I would never have gone into business for myself with the little resources I had (maybe it was craziness). I refuse to live in a state of constant fear. Fear of what about the guy walking down the street with the long jacket on, fear of the guy cutting my grass, fear of the guy delivering my supplies, fear of everyone else. If you want to do background checks on every person you come into contact with, why not be like Howard Hughes and hole in a hotel. Or live in a monastery with no outside interaction. I don't do that because I believe in the goodness of people. I believe that nobody is bad until they show it to someone. I will not live in fear. I can get into some really heavy philosophy here but I don't want to get that deep.

I have worked and ran restaurants for my employers in some of the worst parts of town. I am not of the same heritage as the area that I worked in, so I stuck out. I earned the respect of the people around my neighborhood by treating them as human beings. Being fair when they did wrong. some of the things I dealt with were people having sex in the restrooms, shooting drugs in the restroom and dumpster area, people having fights in the parking lot and so on. I have had people threaten me, my wife and my dogs with harm because I fired a person after the third write up for the same offense. I have had people flatten all of the tires on my vehicle with a knife because I wouldn't allow them to enter my restaurant when they had no shirt on. I have dealt with stuff. But the more people I meet from all over the globe, I know that there are good people everywhere. That's the people I deal with.

I have hired employees from prison halfway houses. These same people needed a re-start in life. doing this I was able to help a little over half of the ones that I hired get better jobs once they had a work history. did it go smooth? Heck no! But in the end it was worth it. As for the ones that I had to let go of, most went back to jail and I have had a couple come back another time for a job again and told them no. I give you one chance, you blow it good bye. I did help them try to get a job somewhere else. And it does make me feel good when they come back and say thanks.

Jim

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

SandyPI — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:39:59 GMT

I hate to tell you this, but we do live in this type of world. If you don't believe me, just watch the news, facts do not lie. I got into be background screening after my Aunt hired a lawn service without asking if they did any pre-employment screening. The result was the young man who mowed her lawn attacked her with a brick and took everything had of value to "feed" his drug habit. His employer stated, "he seemed like such a nice kid."
I wish you luck in trusting your employees,( which is a noble thing to do)..I just hope you don't regret it someday.
Sandy

Re: Managers not prepared for work place violence

Lighthouse24 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:35:33 GMT

Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Just wondering, did your smarter-than-all-of-their-lawyers attorney tell you it was okay not to do background checks? (LOL)