The Role of a Director of Human Resources
The director of human resources is obligated to supervise and advise the entire management team. Betty Smith has recently been employed by company XYZ and has been assigned to assume the responsibilities of a director of human resources. In her job, she is expected to lead others in ensuring the organization fulfills its objectives by developing strategic plans and overseeing all human-resource efforts, among other activities that vary depending on the circumstances.
Occupational Aggression and Violence
Occupational aggression and violence have emerged as issues for Human Resource Directors to consider, as they are regarded as the second leading cause of workplace deaths. For the cases reassessed by Betty Smith, some incidences took place as a result of stress and strain on the employees' side. Social standing of an individual at workplace impacts the general disposition of the individual at work. Some work-related stressors induce an individual to act weirdly at work, causing harm to other employees or even the employer. In the cases reviewed by Betty Smith, having been taking place overtime, the stressors can be worries about occupational safety or even other mental illness as a result of job anxieties and worries. Some causes may be attributed to the assailant's relationship to the workplace, for what he or she perceives as unfair treatment then prodded to take vengeance. For example, on 25th Sep 2014, the case in Oklahoma food-processing plant may have been caused by the assailant being fired from workplace, conceptualizing this is a perception that the action was unfair on his side, regardless of the reason behind termination of his employment (Aaron, 2003).
Ensuring Workplace Safety
The consistency of the incidences in the timeline renders many of the firms vulnerable to succumb to such like terrible occurrences. Company XYZ plans to lay-off 10 of its employees in a period of two weeks and this definitely will elicit the stress in some if not all of the employees. The CEO thus informs Betty Smith, the organization's Director of Human Resource to think of some safety measures to be considered at the planned meeting they'll have with the entire management team. She is also set to decide for the CEO whether it would be wise to bring his personal gun for protection purposes and have it locked up in a safe. Overwhelmed with anxiety on what to do she calls her friend who is a “Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR to assist in analyzing the situation. The SPHR to help Betty out wanted to know, what's the cultural fit from the organizational profile? What's the intended purpose for the scheduled meeting? She also had to get from Betty, what criteria would be followed in laying-off 10 of the organization employees? Definitely, these questions were to help her analyze the situation then help her out with workable measure development to curb the possibility of the prospected violence at workplace.
The CEO's Role in Security
The Chief Executive Officer is therefore authorized to carry his gun to the workplace, because as the employer, he has to follow the stipulated laws and regulations regarding guarding the workplace free from the recognized hazards that bring about physical injury and deaths. As the CEO, according to the law, he has the full discretion to make decisions on security matters. Therefore, carrying the gun to the workplace is a prior disposition act of readiness to protect him and others against violence. Besides that, the law restricts him from requiring the employees to disclose gun possession and use, he equally shares the same right (John, 2013).
Reducing Risks through Organizational Support
Evident from the cases, an assailant would hit anyone as driven by psychological aggression or emotional suffering because of what is perceived as physical violence from the organization, at times caused by mental illness. This elicits some stress that can, in turn, induce an individual to assault other people in the organization. Organizational support will then be appropriate to reduce risks caused by violence at the workplace. Therefore, after background checks, to determine the candidates' reputation, moral strength, and whether he fits, conducted appropriately by the HR manager, covert armed employees should be carefully selected as surveillance to protect the organization from violence.
Alternative Security Measures
Other traditional ways of having traditional guards unarmed at the front desk have their own issues. To affirm the legibility of the guards is difficult. Performing the security task, with regards to the measures put in place as for Indiana that bans employers to seek the exposure of gun possessing, will prove futile in case of open fire from one employee or any external assailant attacking the organization. These are only equipped to prepare reports on incidents, accidents. With physical efforts limited to walking, standing, speaking listening and observing, they were not permitted to use guns (LeBlank, 2002).
State Laws and Regulations
Some of the state like Indiana among other states came up with laws that are enacted as a concern over workplace violence. This gives permission to the employer's right to engage or fight violence or any threat of violence. The employees can bring their guns but then keep them in their vehicle. However, some rules and regulations ought to be followed regarding this permit. The employees are restricted to keeping their guns in the vehicle; known as “Parking Lot Statutes”. Background Checks are vital to obtain relevant information on an individual to understand an individual's character. The latter is effective as a measure to protect employees from violence and it should be considered by all the states because all places are susceptible to workplace aggression and violence.
Conclusion
Director of Human Resource has a role to play in assessing the Characteristic of an individual before placement in the workforce, to prevent workplace violence and aggression by individuals who are down-hearted. The employer has the full discretion to enhance the safety of the workplace, by applying what the laws stipulate of him based on the state. Indiana, for instance, the employees can have their guns at the workplace but kept in their vehicle. Background checks would then allow qualified individuals to work in an organization as it discloses an individual character helping the HR to absorb such ones.
References
Aaron Schat, & E Kelloway. (2003). Reducing the Adverse Consequences of WorkPlace Aggression and Violance: The Buffering Effects of Organizational Support. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 2003, Vol. 8, No. 2, 110–122
John R. Lott. (2013). More guns, less crime: Understanding crime and gun control laws, Third edition. University of Chicago press
Neely A, Celeste B, Waverly D.c.,SheldonW.S (2012). Armed and Dangerous: Protecting your Employees from Violence. Retrieved from
http://www.wallerlaw.com/portalresource/Armed%20and%20Dangerous%20- %20Protecting%20your%20Employees%20from%20Violence
MM LeBlanc, & EK Kelloway. (2002). The prediction, experience, and consequences of workplace violence. Journal of Applied Psychology, 29-49. Accessed from Google Scholar.
