Preventing Violence

I read this item by Employment attorney John Phillips on spotting violence before it occurs in the workplace.

It reminded me of The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker, a book I highly recommend.

De Becker's firm does a lot of high-profile security work. For a glimpse of that issue, here's a revealing excerpt from the Gavin de Becker & Associates web page for potential job applicants:

• Schedules of our Security Staff Agents are volatile, affected by a range of influences. For example, a mentally-ill pursuer calls and threatens one of our clients at 2am on a Saturday morning, or a client decides at the last possible moment to attend a charity dinner, or a political development requires emergency travel, or a public appearance is postponed – these things and many others affect the work schedules of protectors.


• We work long hours, often in high-risk situations. We also work long hours in situations that require each person to be able to self supervise.


• Public figure protectors must have a genuine passion for this work. Without this passion, you will find GDBA to be a poor match for you, and perhaps too difficult. There are much easier jobs.