WEBVTT

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Okay, here's the deal.

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I've got this guy who's
got a bit of a temper.

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And when something's
not going right, he cuts loose.

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And it's all verbal -

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but it's usually never aimed at a person;
it's at a machine or something.

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It's like he's blowing off
steam in a major way.

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When he gets like that,
we all kind of avoid him.

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But I don't think too much
about it. Because let's face it.

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We can all have a bad day, right?

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First of all, it's irrelevant that his
temper isn't directed at people.

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Your organization's employee handbook

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should clearly list examples of
unacceptable or unprofessional behavior.

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And, as a manager,
you have a responsibility...

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...to take immediate action

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when you observe any
behavior that crosses the line.

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If you don't, you could find yourself
facing all kinds of legal problems.

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For example, somebody who received
a poor performance evaluation

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could claim it was the result of
a violent work environment.

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Or somebody who couldn't
deal with the environment

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created by the guy's behavior

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could resign and claim
a constructive discharge.

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A constructive discharge
basically means

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that the co-worker was forced
to resign from the company

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in order to avoid a situation that was
detrimental to his or her safety.

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If a court agrees, at a minimum,

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you'll probably end up having
to pay unemployment compensation.

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You could also face an infliction
of emotional distress lawsuit;

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as well as having to pay workers'
compensation based on physical

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or emotional problems that resulted
from your failure to stop the behavior.

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In extreme cases, you
might find yourself in court

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if a co-worker claims he
or she was a victim of assault.

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Unlike battery, which requires
actual physical contact,

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assault only requires that someone
be in fear of harmful physical contact.

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One more point about
this kind of behavior.

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Not only does it create
legal problems

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but tiptoeing around
and waiting for it to blow over

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can be exactly the wrong thing to do
from a safe workplace standpoint.

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If someone is acting
in a violent manner,

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the first thing to do is
stop the behavior.

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Usually, the best way is to ask
the person to walk outside with you.

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Get them away from
the focus of their anger,

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and also out of the earshot
of their co-workers.

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The mere fact of moving
and getting some fresh air

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will actually change the amount
of oxygen in their brains

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so they can think more clearly
and calm themselves down.

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In fact, talking about it directly,
in a professional and caring tone,

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is often the most effective
way of redirecting

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and diffusing
the employee's behavior

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before it leads
to something more serious.

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The bottom line here is this.

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There is no excuse,
in the eyes of the law,

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for permitting violent
behavior of any kind -

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regardless of the circumstances.

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If you are unsure how
to deal with the situation,

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consult with an EAP professional,
human resources,

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security officials or
upper management.

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There are resources available to help
you with these types of problems.

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So, if someone gets out of line...
deal with it. Immediately.