Back to Main Menu

3-2 Workplace Violence

About CMU's "Workplace violence policy"

This policy expresses that workplace violence is prohibited. Anyone who exhibits such behavior will be held accountable under University policy, as well as under local, state and federal law.

NOTE ABOUT PDF VERSION: The PDF is the official text of the policy. If there are any incongruities between the text of the HTML version and the text within the PDF file, the PDF will be considered accurate and overriding.

BACKGROUND

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that “(s)ome 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. Workplace violence can strike anywhere, and no one is immune.” OSHA defines workplace violence as “…violence or the threat of violence against workers. It can occur at or outside the workplace and can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide. The National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) reports that harassment is the leading form of on-the-job violence with 16 million workers being harassed each year. However it manifests itself, workplace violence is a growing concern for employers and employees nationwide. 

PURPOSE

Central Michigan University views aggressive and/or violent behavior in the workplace as disruptive and contrary to the development and maintenance of a safe, productive, and supportive environment. The University’s Workplace Violence Policy, and related procedures, is intended to support efforts to provide a safer campus work environment. To that end, the policy seeks to address both imminent threats of workplace violence as well as common precursor behaviors (verbal threats, gestures, intimidation, and the like) through an increased awareness of the issue, and through intolerance for related behaviors which may have once been considered acceptable.

DEFINITIONS

 Workplace Violence includes, but is not limited to:

A. Acts of aggression including verbal abuse or physical action that reasonably creates fear of bodily harm, or threatens the safety of others. 

B. Other aggressive behaviors indicating potential for violence (throwing objects, shaking fists, destroying property, etc.).

C. Acts of violence, including any intentional or reckless physical act that causes injury to a person, or intentional or reckless damage to physical property.

D. Any substantial threat to harm another individual, or endanger safety of others, and/or any substantial threat to destroy property.

E. “Stalking,” as defined by MCL 750.411(h), means a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested. 

POLICY

Workplace violence is prohibited. Anyone who exhibits such behavior will be held accountable under University policy, as well as under local, state and federal law. 

It is the responsibility of every employee to immediately report acts of workplace violence. 

PROCEDURE

Any employee who witnesses, is informed of, or is the object of, any threat or violent act is strongly encouraged to immediately report the matter to the CMU Police Department, Human Resources or Faculty Personnel Services. 

If the situation is perceived to present immediate danger, and/or if there are any weapons visible or implied call the CMU Police Department at ext 911 and give the Police Dispatcher your office location and relevant details of the problem or incident (if the situation involves an off-campus location, call 911 or military/local police to report the matter). 


Central Michigan University reserves the right to make exceptions to, modify or eliminate this policy and or its content. This document supersedes all previous policies, procedures or guidelines relative to this subject.