Allan Samson
Founder and Principal, 5FiVeO Protect
The real question is whether we would recognize the warning signs and respond effectively if it did.
After every act of workplace violence, leaders ask the same question: could this happen here? Allan Samson has spent years building and teaching workplace violence prevention and de-escalation programs, and his experience points to an uncomfortable truth. In most cases, the answer was always yes.
The law has recognized this for decades. In Yunker v. Honeywell (1993), a Minnesota court held that an employer can be liable for negligent retention when it knew or should have known that an employee posed a threat. Duty of care is not only a moral obligation. It is a legal one.
Most incidents are preceded by warning signs. Threats, sudden changes in behavior, escalating grievances and concerns quietly raised by coworkers are often seen, and too often not acted on.
Closing that gap takes structure. Organizations need clear policies for reporting threats, investigating concerns and escalating them. Leaders and staff need ongoing, in person training, not a single online module. Prevention should be built into performance standards so that respectful conduct is part of how people are evaluated.
Above all, concerns should be reviewed by a multidisciplinary threat team that brings together HR, legal, safety and security, mental health professionals and, when appropriate, law enforcement. Each sees a different part of the picture.
So the real question is not "Could this happen here?" It is "Would we recognize the warning signs and respond effectively if it did?"
