Workplace shootings

Paul in Cannon Beach

There have been three (that I know of) workplace shootings in the past two weeks: the shootings at Fort Hood, the shooting in the Orlando office building, and a shooting in drug treatment center that left two dead here in Oregon yesterday.

I dont see any connection between the three however it reminds me that these events happen and while you "never think it could happen here" it could.

We have a former employee who left us years ago and has returned several times asking for money or a place to spend the night. Since going off his medication he has become unstable and has had repeated run ins with the law including a false bomb threat in a nearby city hall.

On one hand I have helped this individual out on several occassions but I am also aware that I am the "face" of our organization in his mind. If he ever decided that somehow we were to blame for his troubles he would undoubtedly think of me first.

Even tremendous security cannot stop workplace violence as evidenced by the Fort Hood shootings and the Yale laboratory murder. Its just a reality that you have to accept. The employee who returned to the Orlando office with a gun had been let go two years earlier. I am sure no one expected him to return.

plynnl

I think workplace violence is always at the back of HR dept's minds. A lot of employees let go can harbor anger about their dismissal and you never know what they might do.

Tony Kessler

On his blog, TN Employment Law Letter editor John Phillips has written a series of seven posts exploring the ramifications of the tragedy at Fort Hood, many of them focusing on workplace violence. Here is a link. tk

[URL="http://employmentlawpost.com/theword/category/fort-hood/"]http://employmentlawpost.com/theword...ory/fort-hood/[/URL]