Workplace Violence

Roughly two million American workers are victims of workplace violence every year. The annual cost of this violence is estimated to be in the billions. Organizations are affected in many ways, and it’s unclear whether the impact on employees can even be measured. This issue focuses on how and why workplace violence occurs, the warning signs, and what you can do about it and its aftermath.

Workplace violence is receiving increased attention thanks to a growing awareness of the toll that violence takes on workers and workplaces. (Item #1)  Avoid thinking that most workplace violence happens because an individual has “snapped,” going violent spontaneously without provocation. (Item #2)  The personal and economic toll can be incalculable in terms of loss and suffering. (Item #3)

Protecting employees, customers and clients from harm should be the primary concern of any company's security personnel as well as its senior executives, but planning should also include looking at longer-term impacts of violence. (Item #4)  There are a number of legal theories that could lead to civil liability following an incident of workplace violence. (Item #5)  Only planning and training for workplace violence will mitigate your risks for accidents and threats. (Item #6) 


Past issues of the NewsBriefs are available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs/

Testing, Training & Evaluating Your BC Plan

If you don’t exercise your business continuity plan, you’ll be using it at your own risk. What if it doesn't work? What if some critical information hasn't been updated? Not only do exercises help you determine if the plan is viable, they also can point out weaknesses in the plan that should be addressed before a disruption occurs. This week’s articles discuss testing, training and evaluating and should be helpful to you in determining how you are going to test your plan.

Why don’t more organizations actively test their BC plans? (Item #1) If you going to develop a plan you’d better make sure it’s going to work. (Item #2) The best-laid recovery plans count for nothing if they don’t deliver when needed. (Item #3)

There is a need for employee awareness training. (Item #4) Which employees need awareness training only and which need training & exercising? (Item #5) When IT experiences a service disruption, so does the entire business. (Item #6)


Past issues of the NewsBriefs are available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs/

Benefits & Economics of Business Continuity Planning

We've all been there... you’re in the budget meeting fighting for money for business continuity planning and competing with other departments that are perceived as profit centers. Many of us have not been able to win the fight. This week’s articles discuss the benefits and economics of BCP in ways that we can use to discuss the ROI of business continuity in financial and other terms.

This list of BCP benefits was compiled from readers of Continuity Central and provides some interesting reading. (Item #1) If you can determine the financial consequences of a disaster, you can better argue for the resources to prevent one. (Item #2) Consider this author’s quantitative approach to business continuity investment when you’re preparing for your next budget meeting. (Item #3)

This list of benefits might come in handy for your budget proposal as well. (Item #4) Here’s a discussion of why organizations make or should make the decision to invest in BCP. (Item #5) When deciding how to allocate funds for BCP, make sure you understand the difference between what contributes to the perception of safety and actually being safe. (Item #6)



Past issues of the NewsBriefs are available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs/

Crisis Communications

How would you define a crisis for your organization? Power out? Building inaccessible? Environmental disaster? Whatever your definition, you need to have a communication plan for as many possible scenarios as you can imagine. You'll never be able to plan for everything, but much of your plan will be usable for whatever happens. This week's articles focus on the strategy behind crisis communication, how to put everything into play, and the importance of drilling to ensure the plan works.

If you view crisis communications as the ultimate firefighting exercise, you can deal with it effectively. (Item #1) If you've ever wished for a chart to guide your crisis communications activities, here's your wish fulfilled. (Item #2) As the ultimate unplanned activity, a crisis does not lend itself to conventional “command and control” management practices. (Item #3)

You have as many spokespersons as you have employees; are you training them in how to react in a crisis? (Item #4) You'll be both surfing and swimming in the midst of a crisis situation; you need to understand the role of each. (Item #5) It's critical to put your communications plan to the test... will it work? (Item #6)


All issues of the NewsBriefs are available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs/