HomeMy WebLinkAbout700-20POLICY & PROCEDURE
Subject:
VIOLENCE FREE WORKPLACE
Index: Safety
Number: 700-20
Effective Date:
2/2/2024
Supersedes:
4/1/2006
Page:
1 of 8
Staff Contact:
Ellen Bradley-Mak
Approved By:
1.0 PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to prohibit workplace violence and establish procedures to
protect City employees, officials, volunteers, contractors, and visitors from workplace
violence.
2.0 ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED:
All departments/divisions
3.0 REFERENCES:
City of Renton Policy & Procedure 300-02 - Weapons Free Workplace
City of Renton Policy & Procedure 300-47 - Discipline
City of Renton Policy & Procedure 340-02 - Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment and
Retaliation
City of Renton Policy & Procedure 300-10 – Code of Conduct
City of Renton Policy & Procedure 100-20 – City Property Exclusion Policy
City of Renton Policy & Procedure 700-03 – Accident Reporting
Police Policy 916: Domestic Violence Involving Law Enforcement Employees
RCW Chapter 49.17
RCW Chapter 9A.76.180
Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (Appendix A – L&I template, pages 23-30)
WA Dept of Labor & Industries - Workplace Violence: Awareness and Prevention for
Employers and Employees
House Bill 1533 - Exempting the disclosure of certain information of agency employees
or their dependents who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment,
or stalking.
Policy 700-20
p. 2
Domestic Violence Leave - See Section 4.4 of City Policy 300-04, Paid and Protected
Leave.
4.0 POLICY:
4.1 Workplace violence is prohibited. All acts of workplace violence are to be
reported pursuant to the procedures in Section 6.0. Retaliation against any
person for reporting workplace violence or cooperating in investigations of
workplace violence is prohibited. The City of Renton commits to investigate
violations of this policy and support victims of workplace violence.
4.2 This policy applies to all City employees.
4.3 While the City has a strong commitment to customer service, no employee will
be required to submit to continuous verbal/physical abuse or threats from
another individual including members of the public. Per City Policy 100-20, any
City employee may orally order an individual to immediately leave City property
and/or call 911 to seek police assistance.
4.4 The City of Renton will not tolerate domestic violence including harassment of
any employee or any other individual while in our facilities, vehicles, on our
property, or while conducting business. This includes the display of any violent or
threatening behavior (verbal or physical) that may result in physical or emotional
injury or otherwise places one’s safety and productivity at risk.
4.4.1 The City is committed to working with employees who are victims of
domestic violence to prevent abuse and harassment from occurring in
the workplace. No employees will be penalized or disciplined solely for
being a victim of harassment in the workplace.
4.4.2 Domestic violence, or violence resulting from another personal
relationship, becomes a workplace issue when the violence follows a
victim to work. Individual and workplace safety plans can prepare for
the potential that a domestic situation will escalate in the
workplace.
4.4.3 Employees, and their dependents, who are survivors of domestic
violence, sexual assault, harassment, and/or stalking may be eligible for
exemption under the Washington Public Records Act from having certain
personal information publicly disclosed pursuant to RCW 42.56.250.
4.5 The City recognizes that there are risk factors for workplace violence and seeks to
take measures to avoid or mitigate against risk factors when practical.
Policy 700-20
p. 3
5.0 DEFINITIONS:
City employee: All regular and non-regular employees, including full-time, part-time,
temporary, seasonal, and contract employees. For purposes of this policy, it also means
volunteers.
Risk factor: A condition or circumstance that may increase the likelihood of violence
occurring in a particular setting and/or reducing the City’s ability to protect against the
risk of violence. Risk factors may include, but are not limited to:
• Contact with the public.
• Exchange of money.
• Delivery of passengers, goods, or services.
• Having a mobile workplace such as a police or other City vehicle.
• Working with unstable or volatile persons in social services or criminal justice
settings.
• Working in isolation.
• Working late at night or during early morning hours.
• Working in high-crime areas.
• Guarding valuable property or possessions.
• Working in community-based settings.
Stalking: A type of harassing surveillance where an individual repeatedly follows
another person, and the person being harassed is placed in fear that the individual
intends to injure the person, another person, damage their property, or damage the
property of another person.
Threat of Violence: A threat of violence is defined as any spoken or written word, act,
or gesture that causes a reasonable person to believe that the actor intends to
imminently use violence and/or that violence will be carried out in the future.
Violence: Violence is the use of physical force to cause harm or reasonable fear of harm
to people or property, including pain, injury, death, damage, or destruction.
Workplace violence: Any violence or threat of violence by or against a City employee,
official, or agent while they are performing work for the City, within their work shifts
including breaks, or otherwise relating to their work for the City. For purposes of this
policy, workplace violence does not include lawful uses of force by law enforcement
officers in the course of their duties, which is covered by applicable laws and police
department policies. Workplace violence includes, but is not limited to:
• Criminal intent: The perpetrator has no legitimate business relationship to the
workplace and usually enters the affected workplace to commit a robbery or
Policy 700-20
p. 4
other criminal act.
• Customer/client: The perpetrator is either the recipient or the object of a service
provided by the affected workplace or the victim.
• Co-worker: The perpetrator has some employment-related involvement with the
affected workplace. Usually this involves an assault by a current or former
employee, supervisor, or manager.
• Personal relationship: The perpetrator is someone who does not work at the
City but has or is known to have had a personal relationship with an employee.
6.0 PROCEDURES:
6.1 General procedures
6.1.1 As soon as safe to do so and if/as appropriate:
6.1.1.1 Employees should report all threats, including suspicious letters,
packages, or containers, immediately to 911 and then notify a
supervisor or the HRRM Safety Officer.
6.1.1.2 Supervisors should account for all employees and report up their
safety status.
6.1.1.3 Communications should communicate to internal employees and
the public about changes and impacts to City services, programs,
or facilities.
6.1.1.4 HRRM, supervisors, and Administrators should share employee
support resources.
6.2 Active shooter
6.2.1 Call 911 if an armed or threatening intruder comes on city
property. Employees may also text 911 if it is unsafe to call.
6.2.2 RUN: Leave the building quickly and quietly if it is safe to do so. If
traditional evacuation routes are not an option, consider evacuating
through a window if you are on the first floor.
6.2.3 HIDE: If unable to immediately leave the building, move to an area that
can be locked or secured. Lock doors and windows. Barricade door with
furniture and turn off lights, be as quiet as possible.
Policy 700-20
p. 5
6.2.4 FIGHT: If you are confronted/cornered by the attacker,
actively/aggressively fight.
6.3 Personal relationship violence
6.3.1 Employees who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or
stalking and their qualifying family members, may request a reasonable
safety accommodation and/or take domestic violence leave.
6.3.2 Employees who have an Anti-Harassment Order, No Contact Order,
Protection Order, Restraining Order, or other similar court ordered
direction in place are encouraged to share a copy with their supervisor so
other employees in the work area can be on alert. Violations of the
provisions of that order occurring in the workplace will be immediately
reported to the Renton Police Department.
6.3.3 Supervisors, Administrators, and HRRM must maintain confidentiality and
share information about the protected employee only as it pertains to
employee and workplace security.
6.3.4 Supervisors, with support from HRRM, must assess the need for and
develop a workplace safety plan to enhance the security of employee and
others impacted within the work unit and share relevant community and
employee support resources.
6.3.5 Employees who are survivors of the acts identified in RCW
42.56.250(1)(i)(i)(A) may be eligible to request the City treat certain
personal information exempt from public disclosure by submitting to the
HRRM Administrator a sworn statement pursuant to RCW 42.56.250 (see
Appendix A for an example template) or providing proof of
participation—or the participation of a dependent—in the address
confidentiality program under chapter 40.24 RCW to the Administrator of
Human Resources and Risk Management.
6.3.5.1 Sworn statements expire after two years. Individuals submitting a
sworn statement may renew their sworn statement.
6.3.5.2 The HRRM Administrator will notify the Public Records Officer of
individuals eligible for exemption and the expiration date for their
exemption.
6.3.5.3 The HRRM Administrator will securely maintain all sworn
statements and proof provided by eligible employees or
volunteers.
Policy 700-20
p. 6
6.4 Follow-up for all incidents
6.4.1 The supervisor or Administrator leading the response to the incident
must submit an Incident Report.
6.4.2 The HRRM Administrator, or designee, will lead a response team to
debrief the incident, organize post-incident employee support resources,
and determine appropriate action.
6.4.3 HRRM will lead investigations into violations of this policy and/or threats
of workplace violence by City employees. The Renton Police Department
will investigate threats and acts of violence following their standard
protocols.
6.4.4 Individuals who violate this Violence Free Workplace policy in tandem
commit a Level 1 or Level 2 violation as outlined in City Policy 100-20 –
City Property Exclusion Policy may be subject to relevant expulsion
procedures.
6.4.5 HRRM will log all threats, assaults, and acts of violence in the Workplace
Violence log.
6.4.6 The Central Safety Committee will review all report incidents per City
Policy 700-06.
6.5 Discipline/Consequences for Workplace Violence
6.5.1 Employees who violate this policy may face discipline up to and including
termination according to policy 300-47.
6.5.2 City Contractors/Vendors who commit Workplace Violence should be
required to take remedial action to prevent further instances of
Workplace Violence and be subject to contractual remedies and/or
restricted in future contracts with the City, as determined appropriate by
the Administrator after consulting with HRRM and the City Attorney
Department.
6.5.3 Consequences for other individuals shall be in accordance with criminal
laws or other policies. For example, a non-employee who is responsible
for workplace violence may be subject to the City’s property exclusion
policies and/or court protection orders.
6.6 Training & Prevention
6.6.1 HRRM, in partnership with the Police Department and Organizational
Development, will organize workplace violence prevention training to
Policy 700-20
p. 7
cover types of workplace violence, risk factors, potential prevention
measures, warning signs of escalating behavior, and emergency
procedures.
6.6.2 HRRM will create and provide workplace violence plan templates, tools,
and resources to Departments.
6.6.3 Department Administrators, or designee(s), will ensure all employees
receive workplace violence-related trainings based on this policy.
Employees can access this policy directly by downloading it from the
City’s intranet site.
6.6.4 City leadership will prioritize hazard prevention and control measures to
implement in response to the hazard assessment.
Policy 700-20
p. 8
Appendix A: Example Survivor Declaration
Request for the exemption of the public disclosure of certain information of City employees,
their dependents, or volunteers who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault,
harassment, or stalking pursuant to RCW 42.56.250 of the Public Records Act for Public Records
Requests. * Please note that the requested exemption does not apply to public records
requests from the news media as defined in RCW 5.68.010(5).
I, __________________________________ (print name), affirm I and/or my legal dependent(s)
______________________________________________________(print dependents’ name(s))
am/are a survivor of:
Domestic violence as defined in RCW 10.99.020 or RCW 7.105.010
Sexual assault as defined in RCW 70.125.030
Sexual abuse as defined in RCW 7.105.010
Stalking as described in RCW 9A.46.110 or defined in RCW 7.105.010
Harassment as described in RCW 9A.46.020 or defined in RCW 7.105.010
I have reasonable basis to believe that the risk of domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual
abuse, stalking, or harassment continues to exist because:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
I declare under penalty of perjury under the law of Washington that the foregoing is true and
correct.
Signed on the _______ day of _____________________ (month), ____________(year)
at _________________________________ (city or other location, and state or country)
___________________________________________
Signature
___________________________________________
Print name
Date received by HRRM: ________________ Expiration date (2 years): _____________
HRRM Administrator:
________________________________
Signature Print name