|
|
Preventing Workplace Violence
Workplace violence is violence or the threat of violence against workers. It can occur at or outside the workplace and can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide, one of the leading causes of job-related deaths. However it manifests itself, workplace violence is a growing concern for employers and employees nationwide.
According to statistics from Occupational Safety and Health Administration, approximately 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. Workplace violence can strike anywhere and no one is immune. Experts say many factors, including economic, social, and psychological problems, increase office violence. Though violence by disgruntled ex-workers tends to be paramount in the headlines, it is not the most prevalent type of violence according to a Northwestern Life Study. Most attackers and harassers are people that the victims deal with on a daily basis, including customers, clients, patients and co-workers.
Employers should take workplace violence seriously and take measures to prevent such violence. There are many steps that an employer can implement as a company to decrease potential dangers in their workplace. Some suggestions follow:
BE DILIGENT WHEN HIRING NEW EMPLOYEES
- Check references and employment history thoroughly. Make sure the applicant has represented herself/himself in an honest, factual manner.
- When a decision has been made to hire an new employee, make sure the job offer is contingent upon the employee passing a drug test and a background check for criminal activity. Resource Management can assist in conducting both of these tests for you, should you choose to require them.
LEARN TO RECOGNIZE POTENTIALLY VIOLENT EMPLOYEES
Signs of stress or behavior patterns in an employee that could escalate to violence include:
- Having increased irritability and impatience
- Exhibiting poor concentration and memory problems
- Making direct or veiled threats
- Intimidating or instilling fear in others
- Having an obsession with one's job
- Exhibiting paranoid behavior
- Being unaccepting of criticism
- Holding a grudge
- Testing the limits of acceptable behavior
- Making extreme changes in behavior or stated beliefs
If you notice these or other disturbing behavior patterns in an employee, discuss this situation with your RMI HR representative. RMI may suggest that as part of a counseling session, you mandate that the employee visit a counselor who is associated with RMI's Employee Assistance Program (EAP). RMI's EAP is offered as a free benefit to all employees who are insured under the Resource Management Employee Health Plan.
PROVIDE EDUCATION
Provide education for employees so they know what conduct is not acceptable, what to do if they witness or are subjected to workplace violence, and how to protect themselves.
INVOLVE RMI
If you need to counsel or terminate an employee, call your RMI HR Representative to discuss the situation before the meeting. Many times a written counseling session may be more appropriate than a termination, particularly if an employee has not been given a formal write up and would be surprised or caught off guard at being terminated. An employee would be much less apt to be violent if the termination were expected. Remember, RMI will be available to sit in on counseling sessions and termination proceedings.
Having a representative from RMI on-site and participating in a termination may have a calming influence on an employee. The RMI representative can also be present when the employee gathers personal belongings and is escorted out of the building. This additional support is an extra precaution against an employee displaying violent tendencies.
ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS THAT MAY BE APPLICABLE TO YOUR WORKPLACE
- Secure the workplace. Where appropriate to the business, install video surveillance, extra lighting, an alarm system and minimize access by outsiders through identification badges, electronic keys, and guards.
- Provide drop safes to limit the amount of cash on hand if your business deals with cash. Keep a minimal amount of cash in registers during evenings and late-night hours.
- Equip field staff with cellular phones and hand-held alarms or noise devices, and require them to prepare a daily work plan and keep a contact person informed of their location throughout the day.
- Keep employer-provided vehicles properly maintained.
- Instruct employees not to enter any location where they feel unsafe.
- Develop policies and procedures covering visits by employees to customer's homes. Address employee conduct during home visits, the presence of others in the home during visits, and the worker's right to refuse to provide services in a clearly hazardous situation.
FOLLOWING AN INCIDENT OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE, AN EMPLOYER SHOULD
- Encourage employees to report and log all incidents and threats of workplace violence.
- Provide prompt medical evaluation and treatment after an incident.
- Report violent incidents to the local police promptly.
- Discuss the circumstances of the incident with staff members. Encourage employees to share information about ways to avoid similar situations in the future.
- Offer stress debriefing sessions and post-traumatic counseling services to help workers recover from a violent incident. Discuss with RMI's HR Representative the best way to utilize the services of our EAP.
- Investigate all violent incidents and threats; monitor trends in violent incidents by type or circumstance and institute corrective actions.
- Discuss changes in the program during regular employee meetings.
Wherever a person works, the workplace should be safe and free from violence. If you would like additional information on this subject or assistance in developing workplace safety policies and procedures, please contact your RMI Human Resources Representative. |
|
| The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) |
The information below is provided to you for your information only to assist you in obtaining the Work Opportunity Tax Credit if an employee advises you they qualify as a member of a target group. If you have questions or would like more information on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, please call your RMI Payroll Manager.
The WOTC has two purposes:
- To promote the hiring of individuals who qualify as a member of a target group, and
- To provide a federal tax credit to employers who hire these individuals
WOTC applies to new hires that begin work between January 1, 2006 and August 31, 2011 and belong to one of the 12 WOTC target groups. Only eight of the 12 WOTC target groups still apply to individuals hired after 01/01/2011 and these eight target groups are listed below:
- Long-term TANF Recipient* Member of a family that received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for at least 18 consecutive months ending on the hiring date; or received TANF payments for any 18 months (whether or not consecutive) beginning after August 5, 1997, and the earliest 18-month period beginning after August 5, 1997, ended during the past two years prior to the hiring date; or whose family stopped being eligible for TANF payments because federal or state law limited the maximum time those payments could be made, and the individual is hired not more than two years after such eligibility ended.
Other TANF Recipient* Member of a family that received TANF payments for any nine months during the 18-month period ending on the hiring date.
- Veteran* A veteran who is a member of a family that received assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (food stamps) for at least a three-month period during the 15-month period ending on the hiring date; or a disabled veteran entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability and is hired not more than one year after being discharged or released from active duty; or a disabled veteran entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability and was unemployed for a period or periods totaling at least six months (whether or not consecutive) in the one-year period ending on the hiring date.
- 18-39 Year-Old SNAP (Food Stamps) Benefits' Recipient* Member of a family who is at least age 18 but not yet 40 on the hiring date, and who received SNAP (food stamps) benefits for either the six-month period ending on the hiring date, or he/she is no longer eligible for such assistance under Section 6(o) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977, but the family received SNAP benefits for at least three of the five-month period ending on the hiring date.
- 18-39 Year-Old Designated Community Resident* An individual who is at least age 18 but not yet 40 on the hiring date and lives within an Empowerment Zone (EZ), Renewal Community (RC), or Rural Renewal County (RRC). For information on EZs and RCs, visit http://egis.hud.gov/ezrclocator/ or call 1-800-998-9999. For information on RRCs see Instructions to IRS Form 8850.
- 16-17 Year-Old Summer Youth Individual who works for the employer between May 1 and September 15, is at least age 16 but not yet 18 on the hiring date (or if later, on May 1), has never worked for the employer before, and lives in an Empowerment Zone or Renewal Community.
- Vocational Rehabilitation Referral Disabled person referred to the employer upon completion of (or while receiving) rehabilitation services approved by the state, an Employment Network under the Ticket-to-Work Program, or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Ex-felon Individual who was convicted of a felony and who is hired not more than one year after the conviction or release from prison.
- SSI Recipient Individual who is receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits for any month ending during the past 60-day period ending on the hiring date.
*The individual need not receive the assistance for the entire period if the family received it for the entire period and the individual was on the grant and thus received assistance for at least one day of the specified period.
Some employees do not qualify the employer for the WOTC. They include:
- Relatives and dependents of the employer,
- Majority owners of the employer, or
- Former employees.
You must request and receive certification from your state workforce agency (SWA) that the new hire is a member of one of the WOTC target groups before you can claim the WOTC on your federal income tax return. To request certification, you must:
- Complete page 1 of IRS Form 8850, Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit, by the date of the job offer and page 2 of IRS Form 8850 after the individual is hired; and
- Complete one of the following one-page U.S. Department of Labor forms, as appropriate:
- ETA Form 9061, Individual Characteristics Form, if the new hire has not been given a conditional certification, or
- ETA Form 9062, Conditional Certification Form, if provided to the job seeker by a participating agency, such as vocational rehabilitation agency, an employment network, or a SWA; and
- Mail the signed/dated IRS and ETA forms to the state workforce agency's WOTC Coordinator not later than 28 days after the new hire begins work.
To get the name, address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the WOTC coordinator for your state, visit the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) website at http://www.doleta.gov/business/Incentives/opptax. |
| Reminder From RMI's Benefits Department Concerning Your 2010 Flexible Spending Account |
You only have until March 31, 2011 to submit all receipts for the 2010 Flexible Spending Account Plan year. All expenses must have been incurred during 2010. You can obtain a claim form here. Claim forms should be faxed, mailed or e-mailed directly to National Benefit Services (NBS). Their contact information is located at the bottom of the claim form.
As a reminder, employees can now log on to their 125(c) flexible spending account through NBS's website www.nbsbenefits.com and submit their 2010 and 2011 claims electronically. Please be sure to have a PDF copy of your IRS–approved receipt that you can attach. There is no need to submit any paper copies to NBS, as everything can be done on-line.
If you need assistance in submitting your 2010 receipts, please contact RMI's Benefits Department at (888) 764-0200. |
| Open Enrollment For RMI's Washington Groups |
Open enrolment for RMI's Washington-based clients will soon be upon us once again. This year, you can expect to see many changes in the GroupHealth Alliant Plans due to the Health Care Reform mandates that took effect on September 23, 2010. Many of our Washington employers have been following the changes that RMI's Self-Funded Plan put into place last October, so you are already aware of what is coming up for June 1st. For those of you who have not been following these changes, they will include the following:
- Preventative services will be covered by the Plans at 100%.
- Children up to age 26 will be able to enroll or remain on their parent's plan without any eligibility requirements placed upon them.
- Emergency room services will be paid at the same benefit regardless of the facility's network affiliation.
- Life-time maximums will no longer exist after June 1st (currently, the Plans have a life-time maximum of $2 million dollars).
During the next 60 days, RMI will be working closely with GroupHealth to review the past year's claims usage, discuss the new mandates, consider possible Plan benefit changes or modifications, and determine premiums for the new Plan year. RMI will be working diligently to keep your premiums as low as possible; however, you should be aware that the estimated costs of the new government mandates are expected to be approximately 5%. This increase would be in addition to any regular increase that will be given due to the normal claims usage and inflation. As a reminder, GroupHealth did not give us a premium increase at the June 2010 renewal because we agreed to make some modifications to the Plan design. The Plan's last premium increase took place in June 2009.
Due to the many changes that will affect your employees this renewal, we anticipate scheduling employee meetings as often as necessary during the month of May so that employees will get the chance to hear first-hand about the changes taking place and to allow them to ask questions of both RMI and a GroupHealth representative. As we get closer to renewal, you will hear from us in regards to scheduling both employer and employee renewal meetings.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the June 1st Washington renewal, please do not hesitate to contact RMI's Benefits Department at (888) 764-0200. |
| Safe Driving Tip |
| Visibility - The Capability of Affording an Unobstructed View |
A driver's vision and visibility are the best means by which a driver can make good, informed decisions when driving. As a driver operates a vehicle, he or she is making countless decisions. Decisions about acceleration, deceleration, braking, turning, scanning and surroundings, occur as part of the driving process. Of the five senses humans possess (sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste), sight plays the most significant role in safe driving.
The human eye is an intricate organ that can adjust to different light levels and focus at various ranges; however, it does have its limitations. All eyes are different, and, in addition, there are various aliments that can impact the eye's ability to see properly. By age 65, one in three individuals has some form of vision-impairing disease. Most do not know it because there are often no warning symptoms or they assume that poor sight is a natural part of growing older. In many cases, blindness and vision loss are preventable. To keep your vision as good as possible, keep prescriptions up-to-date and see the eye doctor at least once a year, especially after reaching 40 years of age.
To have good visibility while driving, the right amount of light is necessary. Too much light at the wrong angle can cause a blinding glare, while not enough light prevents any visibility. By following these tips, drivers can achieve the best possible visibility:
- Keep a set of sunglasses in the vehicle. Although drivers may start a trip in the dark or with the sun high overhead, conditions change throughout the day. Glare is the worst as the sun rises and sets, and after a freshly fallen snow.
- Use high beam lights responsibly. These lights should be used to improve the distance drivers can see at night, but should not produce glare for oncoming cars or drivers ahead in the same lane.
- Keep headlights free from road grime and ice or snow. Before starting on a trip, check the lenses to make sure they are clean. If making a trip where road salt and sand are used, check and clean lenses more frequently based on driving conditions.
- Ensure that the windshield is clean inside and out. All windows and mirrors should also be clean and free of smudges and grime.
- Replace old or worn wiper blades.
- Keep snow and ice/frost removal tools in the vehicle. Never go out on the road without fully removing snow from the windows, hood, roof, and trunk lid.
- When possible, plan to do most driving during daylight hours. Nationwide, the fatal crash rate per mile of travel at night is about three times higher than during daylight hours.
- Keep headlight lenses clear. Some plastics become cloudy over time, thus reducing the amount of light that can pass through. If the lens cannot be restored to initial condition, consider replacing the headlight lens.
- Never text while driving. Taking eyes off the road is like driving blind.
For more information on safe driving, please contact RMI's Human Resource Department. |
| Workplace Safety Tip |
| Life Safety |
The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 101 Life Safety Code is used in every state and addresses the minimum building design, construction, operation, and maintenance requirements necessary to protect building occupants from danger caused by fire, smoke, and toxic fumes.
Would your employees know the safest exit route if a fire emergency occurred? Many employees may be unprepared for or unsure of how to respond to a fire emergency. They may not know the safest route to an exit from their work area. Preparedness requires planning. A written plan, company policy, and practices for handling fire emergencies must be communicated to all employees.
Many investigations of fatal building fires found that one or more of the factors contributing to the loss of life from fire were in violation of the requirements of the Life Safety Code.
Typical violations are: inadequate number of exits for the occupant load, blocked or locked exits, and inadequate fire protection for the building type or occupancy. An understanding of the fundamentals of the life safety code and its requirements will help ensure the safety of all occupants.
Training and Education
- Provide training and document the training in writing.
- Post emergency phone number near phones.
- Develop relationships with outside organizations (fire, policy, utilities, hospital).
- Designate exit routes (location of exits, assembly points, and equipment such as fire extinguishers and first aid kits) on posted maps throughout the building.
Exit Routes
- Must be marked and well lit.
- Must be unobstructed and clear of debris at all times.
- Must be wide enough to accommodate the number of evacuating people.
- Must be unlikely to expose people to additional hazards.
Evacuations
- Establish written procedures and training.
- Determine conditions that make evacuations necessary.
- Develop procedures for persons that have disabilities, visitors, and non-English speakers.
- Designate personnel to continue or shut down critical equipment or operations.
- Conduct periodic drills and document them in writing.
For more information on Life Safety issues, please contact RMI's Human Resource Department. |
| To access the online Workplace Safety Training Log click here. |
|
|
|
