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Workplace Violence

Policy 04.05

POLICY STATEMENT

Introduction
In 1992 the Minnesota Legislature adopted the following act (Minnesota Statute 1.5):

Freedom from Violence
The State of Minnesota hereby adopts a policy of zero tolerance of violence. It is state policy that every person in the state has a right to live free from violence.

In furtherance of this policy, Minnesota Statute 15.86 mandates that each agency of state government adopt a goal of zero tolerance of violence in and around the workplace.

Each agency is also encouraged to develop a plan that describes how the agency will (1) seek to eliminate any potential for violence in and around the agency workplace; and (2) seek to eliminate any potential for violence by affecting the attitudes and behavior of the people that the agency serves or regulates.

College Goal
It is the goal of Hennepin Technical College to achieve a work environment which is free from threats and acts of violence. The College will not tolerate workplace violence of any type, from any source. This includes threatening or violent actions by employees directed against other employees, by employees directed against students or other visitors, and by students or visitors directed against college employees.

Agency Policy
It is the policy of Hennepin Technical College and the responsibility of its administrators and all of its employees to maintain a workplace free from threats and acts of violence. The college will work to provide a safe workplace for employees, students, and for visitors to the workplace. Each employee, and everyone with whom we come into contact in our work, deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect.

The policy of the college on work-related violence includes:

The college will actively work to prevent and eliminate acts of work-related violence.
The college will respond promptly, positively, and aggressively to deal with threats or acts of violence. This response will include timely involvement of law enforcement agencies, when appropriate.
The college hereby adopts, and will work to enforce, a policy of prohibiting possession of firearms and other dangerous weapons in the workplace.
Incidents of work-related threats or acts of violence will be treated seriously by the college. Reports of such acts will be promptly investigated and administration will take action, as necessary, to appropriately address each incident.
The college will take strong disciplinary action, up to and including discharge from State employment, against employees of the college who are involved in the commission of work-related threats or acts of violence.
The college will support criminal prosecution of those who threaten or commit work-related violence against its employees, students, and other visitors to its work environment.
Pursuant to Minnesota Statute 15.86, this policy does not create any civil liability on the part of the State of Minnesota.

IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURE

1. The College Will Provide A Safe Workplace.

The college is committed to ensuring that the workplace provides for the safety of employees, students, and visitors and for reasonable protection from workplace violence.

A “Facility Protection Plan” will be prepared for the college. The Plan will address physical security requirements of the college and will include procedures for appropriate response to threats and acts of violence.

2. The College Will Attempt to Reduce the Potential for Internal Workplace Violence By Positively Affecting the Attitudes and the Behavior of its Employees.

Creating a Low-Risk Work Environment: Administrators are expected to promote positive behavior, and to lead by example by treating employees with the respect and dignity each person deserves. Emphasis will be placed on creating a workplace where established standards of conduct are clear, are communicated, and are consistently enforced; and where discipline is used fairly and appropriately to deal with instances of unacceptable behavior.

Supervisory Training: All administrators will be provided with training in how to deal with workplace-related threats and acts of violence. This training will focus on prevention and de-escalation of violence, will include suggestions for appropriate responses to threats and acts of violence, and will identify those resources which are available for use once a potential problem has been identified or an incident has occurred.

Employee Training: All employees will be given the opportunity to receive training in threat awareness and in appropriate responses to aggressive, threatening, and violent behaviors. Assessment of additional training needs for employees will be made upon request, and appropriate training programs will be developed and presented.

Employee Counseling and Assistance: The college will encourage use of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP is primarily an assessment, short-term counseling and referral agency. While supervisors, union representatives, or family members may encourage employees to seek help from the EAP, the decision to use the services must be a voluntary one. Employees may also choose to seek assistance from private health services to deal with pressures, stress, emotional problems, or other personal issues which could, if ignored, lead to threats or acts of violence.

Self Help: Informational brochures and other media will be used to make all employees familiar with the services offered by the EAP, and by the department’s health and wellness coordinator, and will provide information on how to take advantage of those services. Information will also be provided about other options for the resolution of personal and work-related problems which may have a potential for escalating to a violet incident. Employees will be encouraged to utilize all available resources.

Valuing and Respecting Diversity: It is the policy and practice of the college to value and respect individual differences among people. Harassment of any person in the workplace is strictly prohibited. Harassment can be any behavior which is unwelcome, personally offensive, insulting or demeaning, when:

submission to such conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a term or condition of an individual’s employment;

submission to, or rejection of, such conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such an individual; or,

such conduct has the purpose, or the effect, of unreasonably interfering with an employee’s performance or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Harassment and discrimination are serious concerns. Incidents of this nature, if not corrected, may result in workplace violence. Administration will continue to treat reports of harassment and discrimination seriously. Complaints of alleged harassment or discrimination will be promptly investigated and, as necessary, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

3. The College Will Effectively Deal With Threats of Violence and With Actual Incidents of Violence.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Administration has primary responsibility for ensuring a safe work environment. Administration is specifically empowered to take immediate action to resolve or stabilize violent situations in the workplace and to protect people from harm. Administration will ensure that, when a threat is made or a violent incident occurs, appropriate incident response resources are notified immediately. Administration will also ensure that appropriate disciplinary responses to internal workplace violence and aggression are made.

Incident Response Coordinator (IRC): The administrator in charge at each training site will serve as the “Incident Response Coordinator” (IRC) who will be responsible for coordinating responses to violent or threatening situations in the workplace. The IRC will:

Assist in the development of applicable training programs;
Serve as a resource referral agent and information source for administrators and others with regard to workplace violence concerns;
Respond as needed to incidents involving threats or acts of workplace-related violence. While each situation will be unique, this will often require that the IRC:

perform situation assessments and evaluations;

assist with attempts to de-escalate/properly manage potentially violent situations when possible to do so;

facilitate and coordinate response actions of appropriate resources, both internal and external; and,

ensure that appropriate follow-up action is taken (investigation, victim assistance, preventative and corrective actions, etc.).

The IRC will carry out these responsibilities with the assistance of appropriate college, state, and local government resources.

4. The College Will Work to Eliminate Dangerous Weapons From the Workplace.

Dangerous Weapon Prohibition: Effective immediately, the possession of any dangerous weapon, to include any firearm, in a Hennepin Technical College workplace by any person other than a law enforcement officer is strictly prohibited. College personnel are prohibited from possessing any dangerous weapon, to include any firearm, while on official duty. See Appendix A for a list of dangerous weapons included in this prohibition.

Appendix A

DANGEROUS WEAPONS

For purposes of this Plan and Policy, the following items are considered to be “dangerous weapons”:

Any weapon which, per applicable law, is illegal to possess.
Any firearm, loaded or unloaded, assembled or disassembled, including pellet, “BB,” and stun guns (electronic incapacitation devices).
Replicate firearms, as defined in Minnesota Statute 609.713.
Knives (and other similar instruments) with a blade length of more than three inches, other than those present in the workplace for the specific purpose of food preparation and service, or is on the required tool list from the college.
Any “switchblade” knife.
“Brass knuckles,” “metal knuckles,” and similar weapons.
Bows, cross-bows and arrows.
Explosives and explosive devices including fireworks and incendiary devices.
“Throwing stars,” “numchucks,” clubs, saps, and any other item commonly used as, or primarily intended for use as, a weapon.
Any object that has been modified to serve as, or has been employed as a dangerous weapon.
Any other item so designated by the administrator in charge of the site.

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Contact HTC at 952-995-1300 or info@hennepintech.edu