How businesses can prepare for active shooters

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports that almost 46% of all active shooter episodes occur at businesses. Workplace violence results in approximately $121 billion in losses to employers each year.

Active shooter and other forms of workplace violence touch upon multiple lines of insurance according to Angelo J. Gioia, an executive with 40 years of experience in the insurance industry and founder of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) and AgentsofAmerica.ORG.

“Any act of workplace violence, and particularly active shooter episodes, can result in injury and/or death, business interruption, property damage, and reputational damage amongst other covered losses,” Gioia explains.

“Businesses must take a closer look at their current insurance versus what they may need in the event of a claim. It is possible that insured entities may only have the minimum and or mandatory coverages necessary to operate their business,” he adds.

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Gioia stresses that companies may have a more significant exposure and increased risk of workplace violence if they are:

• Financial and other institutions requiring the frequent exchange of money;
• In the retail, hospitality, healthcare and education fields;
• Involved in protective services (i.e., police and fire);
• Businesses that engage delivery workers; or
• Entities with employees who work late shifts, who work alone and/or who work in remote locations.

Mass shootings increase

It does not appear that active shooter incidents are going away anytime soon. Two of the worst mass shootings in modern American history occurred at businesses within a 16-month period from mid-2016 through late 2017.

On June 12, 2016, an active shooter killed 49 people and wounded over 50 more at a popular Florida nightclub. Then on October 1, 2017, a guest in a suite on the 32^nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel blasted a barrage of bullets down on concertgoers at an open-air country music festival. Fifty-eight people were killed and several hundred others were injured. Victim number one was an employee of that hotel.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that four categories of people can be involved in workplace violence as either perpetrators or victims:  Customers, clients, visitors and employees. Prevention and education are essential elements to mitigating this growing risk.

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Training for worse-case scenarios

“Active shooter training is so important in preparing employees for many reasons beginning with raising their awareness. This seems like a simple idea but it cannot be underestimated,” explains Wendy Evans, a former FBI special agent and founder of the Security Impact Group (SIG), an organization that develops customized safety training programs.

She continues, “The first thing you hear when an employee is interviewed after a tragedy is, ‘I didn’t think it would ever happen here.’”

However Evans says, “Training forces employees to mentally prepare for the unexpected and the shock that can paralyze in an active shooter situation. It makes them more observant for early warning signs by colleagues or clients. Have they heard any concerning remarks? Is the person behaving in an odd manner?”

The training should reinforce the organization’s violence prevention reporting procedures and thus be preventative in nature.

“Training should emphasize how employees can report concerning conduct. When reports are seriously regarded and management immediately engages protocols established to handle crises, an incident can possibly be averted before it happens,” Evans states.

SIG’s Chief Operations Officer and former FBI Special Agent Doug Evans explains that if the worst-case scenario occurs and an active shooter enters the business, employees will need to fall back on their training.

“Training reminds employees to consider their specific environment, such as ‘Where would I hide if a shooter came into this room?’ and ‘What exit would be best if I decide to flee?’” he says.

“It makes employees think in terms of how they might fight back, if this becomes the best or necessary option given the circumstances. Common items in the office could be used if needed—from the fire extinguisher on the wall to the grocery bag full of water bottles from the fridge,” explains Evans.

When faced with an active shooter, victims sometimes simply freeze. They become so terrified they do not know how to react in a life and death situation when the business becomes a war zone due to the presence of an active shooter.

“Like an athlete who develops muscle memory from regular training to prepare for a major competition — employees will similarly draw upon their training when it comes to the unthinkable in their work environment,” states Evans.

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Employee to active shooter

When the active shooter happens to be an employee rather than a customer, client or visitor, claims for negligent hiring, supervision or retention may invoke coverage pursuant to Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) or Directors and Officers (D&O) policies.

At least three separate active shooter episodes involving current or former employees resulted in multiple deaths in 2017.

Two workers, one in Pennsylvania and another in California, each shot three colleagues dead before committing suicide at their respective businesses.

In the third incident, a man returned to his former workplace in Florida to gun down five people including the supervisor who had reportedly fired him. Then he turned the gun on himself.

Unlike situations involving unknown persons bursting in to commit armed robberies, employee-on-employee shooters are not always in it for economic gain. Additionally, they are not strangers.

Several years ago, a man shot a younger co-worker in Kentucky nine times, firing eight bullets while his victim was down on the floor. A worker in Texas shot his supervisor 29 times at close range; and another man returned 30 months after he was fired from his job at a Virginia news station and murdered two former colleagues during a live television interview.

Employee-on-employee violence can be deeply personal, sometimes outrageous acts of violence. What is the source of this fury?

According to clinical psychologist Robert L. Tanenbaum, Ph.D., “Some people become very attached to their jobs and experience strong feelings, positive and negative, in the work setting.”

Certain employees may feel threatened, regardless of whether the threat is real or contrived, and their sense of security is affected.

“If a threat results in job termination, strong emotions may be unleashed, including anger and rage. When expressed negative emotions run high, a person may become activated, ready to pounce and attack the source of that distress. Extreme conditions may lead to an active shooter scenario,” explains Tanenbaum.

The strong feelings are similar to those in domestic violence situations. After all, many employers refer to their work forces as “family.”

When a “family member’s” relationship ends through involuntary termination, there may be a sense of betrayal. The former employee may believe that co-workers have turned and sided with the “ex” – that is, the employer.

“Underlying this progression of actions may be an intense feeling of loss, a vacuum created by the absence of a highly valued sense of safety and security in the workplace. Feelings of alienation and disorientation may become overwhelming and lead to erratic, exaggerated and violent behavior. It is as if there had been a divorce with all of the anxiety and uncertainty associated with the loss of and conflict with an important attachment figure,” says Tanenbaum. “This is one way of understanding the magnitude and potential negative consequences of loss of security in the workplace.”

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Watch for behavioral warning signs

Per Tanenbaum, risk factors associated with those who turn violent and may even become active shooters include:

• Expressed threats (direct, veiled, conditional);
• Boasts of prior violence (bragging about losing control);
• Confused thinking;
• Change in speech (increased pitch, slurred, repetitive word use, parroting, forced or strained);
• Speaking to others as if they are not present;
• Non-verbal signs (personal space violation, finger pointing, making fists, heavy or shallow breathing, person refuses eye contact);
• Red flag work issues (job performance difficulties, interpersonal problems with colleagues, long-term arguments with coworkers);
• Increased use of alcohol or substances, increased severe mood swings, persistent blaming of others, increased talk of problems at home, escalation of domestic problems into the workplace, empathy with individuals committing violence and unsolicited comments about firearms.

Insurers who offer workplace violence, active shooter, EPLI, D&O and such other types of coverage should consider including questions on their application forms asking if the insured has a violence prevention policy, safety-training plan and employee assistance program (EAP). These initiatives could help de-escalate and even prevent violence and accompanying losses.

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Creating workplace violence policies

Given the current climate, businesses should have “a written workplace violence prevention policy that is not hidden in the back of an employee handbook. It should be accessible to all. Employees should be made aware of it upon hire and reviewed at a bare minimum annually thereafter,” advises Charlotte McDonald, MSM, PHR SHRM-CP.

McDonald, who possesses more than a quarter century of experience in human resources explains, “Supervisors and managers should be fully aware of the policy and how to promptly address situations as they arise.”

It is much better to deal with molehills than mountains where safety is concerned. Employee relations problems can escalate when left unchecked. Today’s workplace bully may be tomorrow’s workplace batterer or active shooter. Address unacceptable conduct promptly.

If an employee appears to be hostile or angry towards co-workers or customers, the supervisor should meet with that employee in private and discuss the observed conduct. Never attack the person. Instead, focus on the undesired observed behaviors.

Sometimes the root cause of the behavior may have little or nothing to do with work. The employee may be struggling with issues such as domestic violence or financial woes. EAP services could help the employee gain control of these personal problems and turn things around regarding conduct and work performance.

McDonald stresses safety is everyone’s business. “Sometimes, for instance, employees who are key lock badge holders may be reluctant to tell an important client or a VIP they cannot walk in behind them. ‘Piggy-backing’ should be avoided at entrances and secure rooms inside the building. Employers should instruct employees that no matter who the person is, they must never assist anyone in bypassing established security measures,” McDonald states.

Training and preparation can be the difference between life and death in an active shooter situation. Being aware of how colleagues are acting, having a plan for reporting and addressing different forms of workplace violence, and providing de-escalation training are proactive actions to help reduce some of the risk for workers.

Keys to reducing violent behavior

Dr. Tanenbaum offers the following de-escalation suggestions if faced with an agitated person in the workplace or other setting:

Do’s:

• Show respect and address by the person by name.
• Ask: “May I help you?”
• Speak slowly (use simple words).
• Allow time for reflection.
• Give options.
• Ask for their idea or solution.

Don’ts:

• Offer “fake” attention.
• Roll your eyes.
• Make false promises.
• Get in a power struggle (i.e., raise your voice).
• Meet an angry person one-on-one.
• Say “calm down.”

Kathleen M. Bonczyk, Esq. (bonczyklaw@gmail.com) is an attorney and the founder and president of the Workplace Violence Prevention Institute, a Florida-based not-for-profit corporation. Visit www.workplaceviolencepreventioninstitute.org for more information.