Workplace Violence

[Rin]

Has anyone here ever seen or been involved in a violent incident between coworkers/partners? What was the fallout?

 

[LACoGurneyjockey]

Twice, one was a very animated shouting match that came close to blows, the other was a few punches thrown. Both resulted in a "don't do that again" and new station assignments.

 

[Ewok Jerky]

We had a supe and EMT get into a shouting match with some pushing. The next week the supe showed/told some other peeps a handgun at work. He was fired.

 

[Rin]

Damn, you have to be a special kind of stupid to show off a firearm at work.

 

[Rin]

Guess I unintentionally made this post sound like an idle question.

Well, I had an incident at work. Partner having a bad day over personal issues took it out on me & tried to injure me. I didn't report it. I was pretty freaked out at the time and couldn't get the words out, and later I was just plain afraid. I know I didn't handle it well, choosing avoidance over doing the proper thing. Still afraid. Trying to gather the courage to report it.

 

[PotatoMedic]

Just report it.

 

[Medic Tim]

Report it

 

[mycrofft]

Guess I unintentionally made this post sound like an idle question.

Well, I had an incident at work. Partner having a bad day over personal issues took it out on me & tried to injure me. I didn't report it. I was pretty freaked out at the time and couldn't get the words out, and later I was just plain afraid. I know I didn't handle it well, choosing avoidance over doing the proper thing. Still afraid. Trying to gather the courage to report it.

I presumed you had something to tell us, just waiting.

Hell, I'd call the police as well as my employer. A "bad day" doesn't do that, a violent personality and or mental illness does. Screw dat! NO more "bad day" excuses.

 

[Rin]

I presumed you had something to tell us, just waiting.

Hell, I'd call the police as well as my employer. A "bad day" doesn't do that, a violent personality and or mental illness does. Screw dat! NO more "bad day" excuses.

Yeah, I couldn't give a :censored::censored::censored::censored: about his bad day. His crazy *** can bite me. Just clarifying that what set him off didn't even have anything to do with me. I was just the lucky recipient.

I'm concerned about making a serious accusation without any proof. My company doesn't have any cameras or recording equipment in the box or even use drive cams. And since I managed to avoid injury, there's not even that. It's basically he said/she said.

I went to my supervisor afterward but I was a mess of jitters and had a hard time forming coherent sentences. You would think that alone would set off some red flags but my supe basically looked at me like I was the crazy one and asked why I didn't just tell him off if he was giving me a hard time. I never even got as far as relating what happened.

Ugh.

 

[mycrofft]

ANYTHING like that needs to be reported in writing as well. If your employer can't "get it", get looking for a better one. Sit down and take a half hour to get things straight, cite any witnesses, record any quotes you remember, then write it out. If you have marks or injuries, see your MD and ask that they be catalogued if it comes to that.

Even just reporting it to the police might be useful if they've been getting complaints like this; or, yours might be the opening of something which might force him to straighten up.

I'd also refuse in writing to work with this person ever again. The exact words "hostile work environment" should figure prominently in your letter.

 

[Underoath87]

Would you mind explaining what actually happened? You're a woman, right?

 

[mycrofft]

Once released, information cannot be recalled, right?

 

[AtlasFlyer]

If it happened once, chances are very good it'll happen again. The outcome may not be so benign next time.

Sit down, gather your thoughts, and write down what happened. Be non-emotional, fact-based, and present a calm, clear, accurate picture of what happened. Then take that write up to whomever it needs to go in your chain of command.

You do not deserve to be emotionally or physically abused at work, especially by a co-worker.

 

[Rin]

Yes, I'm a woman. My partner was in a bad mood and absolutely silent towards me all day. I didn't care, that's why I brought a book. Then during calls, he started berating me instead of communicating calmly, and it would be over nothing. He huffed angrily and rolled his eyes every time I had to speak to him. Everything I did was wrong, and anything not smooth or perfect was my fault.

At one point, I was driving in busy city traffic during a non-emergency transport and I was unable to get into the lane I needed to make a turn. No big deal, I went straight instead and turned into a business parking lot to turn around. He instantly popped up between the seats to yell at me.

Then later, while he was driving, he was circling a parking lot trying to find the correct entrance to a facility. He couldn't find it, so we were circling for quite a few minutes. I was in the back, getting things squared away so we'd be ready to unload. I had just stood to throw something away, holding onto the ceiling grab bar when he slammed on the brakes. My feet came out from under me because I hadn't gotten to brace them yet. I was dangling by one hand. He looked at me in the rear-view mirror, hit the gas, then slammed on the brakes again. We were in a parking lot, no other cars moving in sight, no pedestrians, no excuse. I couldn't believe it was happening.

We don't have drive cams or cameras in the patient compartment. I saved myself from hitting anything, so no marks. My only witness was A/Ox0 and aphasic.

I was so upset, I couldn't think of one thing to say that wouldn't escalate matters, which seemed like a really bad idea with someone stronger than me who'd already proven willing to hurt me.

Now that I'm writing this, I see that I should have called dispatch or a supervisor right away, instead of sticking out the shift. I was struggling to maintain my composure and we were so busy that day, I think I just got caught in a loop.

 

[PotatoMedic]

Why not go to the supervisor now? Tell them you are not able to work with your current partner due to it being a hostile work environment. If they don't listen go to HR.

 

[AtlasFlyer]

Then don't let it go one day longer.

Behavior like that NEEDS to be addressed. If he's treated you that way, he's probably treated others that way before, and will again. Next time someone could get hurt.

 

[rails]

Then don't let it go one day longer.

Behavior like that NEEDS to be addressed. If he's treated you that way, he's probably treated others that way before, and will again. Next time someone could get hurt.

Agreed. Though it's likely to be difficult, take your supervisor aside privately and tell him/her what occurred. Ask them how you should proceed.

 

[mycrofft]

That sort of behavior, lasting that long, might clue your boss into that this person may have a substance problem too.

 

[Medic Tim]

Agreed. Though it's likely to be difficult, take your supervisor aside privately and tell him/her what occurred. Ask them how you should proceed.

And follow up with an email or incident report . Documentation can be key.

 

[rails]

And follow up with an email or incident report . Documentation can be key.

You're right. I neglected that suggestion, but it would be very wise to do so. Hopefully the supervisor will encourage the formal report, but otherwise it should still be emailed or written.