Killing Two Birds With One Stone

Killing two birds with one stone. 

Perhaps outdated, but no other expression describes efficiently completing two separate tasks at once. 

Why do I bring this up?

Because, California’s requirement that employers train employees in strategies to avoid physical harm from violence gives employers many opportunities to use this requirement as a way to benefit your employees and organization.

You can look at the requirement of training employees in strategies to avoid physical harm from violence as a burdensome mandate, or you can see it as opportunity to help your employees, and improve your organization’s cohesion.

When done right, training in strategies to avoid physical harm from violence can help employees:

•  Build confidence in themselves and their co-workers.
•  Reduce stress levels
•  Improve communication skills.
•  And helping employees function more smoothly as a unit. 
•  All while learning some easy to apply safety and self-defense skills that will increase individual employee and your overall workplace safety.

And it can help your organization by:

• Building better connectivity and cohesion.
• Improving efficiency.
• Reducing turnover rates and absenteeism.
• Keeping insurance rates in check.
• Protecting your bottom line.

Training your employees in strategies to avoid physical harm from workplace violence is the most important; yet, least understood requirement in California’s workplace violence prevention law. My free training will demystify this critical part of your work place violence prevention program.

Training Requirements and What’s Effective When It Comes to Violence

California’s workplace violence prevention law states that “employers shall provide effective training (in)…workplace violence hazards specific to the employees’ jobs, the corrective measures the employer has implemented, how to seek assistance to prevent or respond to violence, and strategies to avoid physical harm.” 

Violence is chaotic. It does not occur in an organized fashion, where it works through a specific progression. Most attacks are over and done in 7 seconds or less, and typically start with a right hand punch launched without warning. 

For training in strategies to avoid physical harm from violence to be effective, your trainings must include understanding the ways that violence occurs.

It’s great if you train employees in de-escalation techniques. But de-escalation by itself, is not enough training when it comes to strategies to avoid physical harm. That’s because most attacks are launched without warning, going from 0-60, with no chance to de-escalate.

To be effective, training in strategies to avoid physical harm should include ways to avoid violence, calm potentially violent situations, and what to do when violence strikes without warning.

And the trainings need to incorporate an understanding of the physical environments where violence occurs.

The Deeper Benefits of Training Employees in Strategies to Avoid Physical Harm 

I do things differently. I spent 30 years investigating violence, and spent a lot of that time working in dangerous places. So the strategies to avoid physical violence that I train people in were honed through real life experiences.

And then they were put into practice training those whose work involved safety risks.

Law firms that I conducted investigations for, began asking me to train their staff in safety and violence prevention when they encountered cases that increased their safety risks. From there I was asked to provide safety and violence training to judges, court administrators, and court staff.

And then, I was asked to train the staff of a United States Senator who had already received some training by the Capitol police. I then developed a wider training for a city department that utilized social workers to respond to mental health and domestic violence calls instead of using armed officers.

And what I heard constantly from those I trained, was that the benefits extended beyond just being able to avoid physical harm. The benefits extended to both the employees sense of well-being, safety, security, and connectivity to the workplace, and to the organization’s operational efficiency, lower turnover rates, and even the organization’s bottom line.

Since those initial days of providing trainings years ago, I’ve focused on ensuring that employees are able to avoid physical harm from pretty much any type of violence, and to help them maximize those other benefits too.

Some employers would rather complain about mandates. While others see opportunity to provide additional benefits to their employees and organizations while satisfying the state's requirements.

And for those that see the benefit in killing two birds with one stone. That's a true win-win.

My free training will help you take the mystery out training employees in strategies to avoid physical harm from workplace violence. Watch it at your own convenience, and at your own schedule.