Oct. 2, 2010

Workforce Management

Taking Control of Anger Management

Experts believe the recession has put more employees on edge because of heavier workloads and worries about job security as colleagues are pushed out the door.  

Warning signs that an employee may be near the breaking point for violent behavior include:  veiled threats, a resentful attitude, foul language, anger issues, depression, coworker complaints, substance abuse and obsessive-compulsive or controlling behavior.

To help deal with personal issues, companies are offering more employee assistance program (EAP) services, and EAP experts advise addressing aggression that could lead to violence immediately. “We evaluate an employee for potential violence and report our findings back to the employer” right away, says Dr. Ewa Antonowicz, clinical director of ComPsych Corp., a Chicago-based company that provides EAP services to 13,000 organizations. The company “can then make a decision whether to prescribe counseling before returning the employee to their position, to put the employee on medical disability or to terminate.”