Workplace Violence -- nearly 1,000 workers are murdered & 1.5 million are assaulted annually.

From an MSNBC report last week: The killing of Yale student Annie Le has shined a spotlight on the issue of workplace violence after police arrested a colleague at the lab where she worked and charged him with murder. As we have said before, OSHA finds that homicide is the fourth-leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S.; nearly 1,000 workers are murdered and 1.5 million are assaulted every year. We hope this week's articles will help you plan for workplace violence incidents and protect your employees and your organization.

Take steps to become better equipped to recognize and respond to workplace violence and protect their employees. (Item #1) Do you know the 13 early warning signs of workplace violence? (Item #2) Workplace attackers usually don't just explode; if you're attuned to warning signs, perpetrators usually telegraph their motives. (Item #3)

What do you know about negligent hiring and negligent retiring? (Item #4) Reactions to increased tension, stress, and in some instances shock have resulted in a variety of workplace violence incidents. (Item #5) Returning to work routines following any violent incident at the workplace can be very challenging. (Item #6)

Finally, Item #7 is a fact sheet on workplace violence that you can post and/or distribute to employees.

Read the full issue (or subscribe) at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs

LinkedIn Group on BCP Testing and Exercising

In an effort to increase awareness in testing and exercising Business Continuity Plans, we've launched a LinkedIn group:
Business Continuity Plan - Testing & Exercising

The more valuable information and experiences we can exchange, the better our collective plans will be. Join today !!!

Compliance and Business Continuity

The regulatory environment means that monitoring what information leaves your organization is as vital as protecting it from external attacks. In the past 10 years, regulations have multiplied and compliance now often requires entire departments to handle. How does regulatory compliance affect business continuity? If non-compliance ends up in huge financial penalties or loss of reputation, you could be out of business fast. Read on...

The organization's leaders must be guided by certain core principles, without which they are unlikely to add value or contribute to the fulfillment of the company's mission. (Item #1) Are you familiar with new e-discovery requirements? If not, it could cost you millions. (Item #2) Do new regulations in effect pose a business continuity problem, a legal problem, or a technical question? (Item #3)

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas; the same is not true of what happens online. (Item #4) Companies that elevate business continuity and disaster recovery to a strategic level in their business and compliance activities do more than avoid risk. (Item #5) A lot of organizations are still in denial and, because the worst hasn't happened to them or anybody they know personally, they assume that it probably never will. (Item #6)

Read all about it in this weeks NewsBriefs.

Are your employees filing complaints with the EEOC?

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission each year reports thousands of complaints filed by employees in a variety of categories. Any one of these suits could be filed against your organization if you're not aware of how to avoid them. This week's articles focus on subjects that can help you handle many types of situations in ways that won't land you in court.

Do employers have the right to do background checks? Should you give your permission? (Item #1) The pros of having a properly drafted manual should outweigh the cons. (Item #2) Unless company policy specifically states otherwise (and even this is not assured), employers may listen, watch and read most of their employees' workplace communications. (Item #3)

These steps will help you hold difficult conversations when people need professional feedback. (Item #4) Employers must be proactive in order to avoid a sexual harassment lawsuit. (Item #5) What are your rights and responsibilities regarding drug testing? (Item #6)

Read the full issue at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs

Reputation Management

There are any number of reasons an organization’s reputation can be damaged. It has become extremely important, therefore, that we all must pay more attention to reputation risks. Firms with strong positive reputations can attract better talent, be perceived as providing more value, have customers who are more loyal, have higher market value and lower costs of capital, among other benefits. This week’s articles focus on ways you can protect, preserve, and, if necessary, repair your organization’s reputation.

It used to be said that the first 24 hours of a crisis were critical. Now, it’s the first hour. (Item #1) This article describes various actions that should be taken to boost and bolster reputation. (Item #2) When prospective customers, clients or employees are searching for you, what do they see? Is a hate site or Rip Off Report the number two listing for your name? (Item #3)

A great brand can take months, if not years, and millions of dollars to build, and it can be destroyed in hours by a blogger upset with your company. (Item #4) These tools can help you prevent damage to your online reputation. (Item #5) Hiring one of the companies that promise to help counter negative info may make nasty comments go away. (Item #6)

http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs

"It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it" -- Benjamin Franklin

RMBTA

I am in Denver to conduct a Disaster Experience - QuickFire for the Rocky Mountain Business Travel Association. A Disaster Experience - QuickFire is a shorter versions of our 3.5 hour Disaster Experience that fits nicely into 1.5 to 2 hour time slot. It too is highly interactive and runs the participants through a disaster scenario.

More on National Preparedness Month

In this weeks NewsBriefs we are covering the sixth annual National Preparedness Month (September). This year, NPM will focus on changing perceptions about emergency preparedness with the goal of helping Americans understand what it truly means to be Ready -- beyond fire alarms, smoke detectors, dead-bolt locks and extra food in the pantry. Remember to visit the NPM website - http://www.ready.gov/america/npm09/index.html - as they will be adding resources throughout the month.

Learn more about potential disruptions and how to respond to them. (Item #1) What you do today affects your ability to handle unexpected events. (Item #2) How ready are you? Take this quiz and find out. (Item #3)

Keep in mind that you need to protect your most valuable asset - your employees. (Item #4) The most common business disaster is fire; make sure you know how to prevent fire at your location. (Item #5) The better your plan the quicker you are likely to be back in business after a disaster. (Item #6) Join the National Preparedness Month Coalition now! (Item #7)

Read this issue of the NewsBriefs at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs