Using the Workplace to Prevent Mass Violence

The recent events in Orlando are tragic, unprecedented, and were entirely preventable. I’ll be writing more on this soon, but I believe that workplace indicators could have kept Omar Mateen from following the path of violence he chose. It’s been a hard day for both the LGBT and Muslim communities, in addition to the USA at large, but we all have to believe in the ability of compassion to overcome hate. My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who died. I hope the national conversation turns away from marginalization, blame and politics, and begins to focus more on the preventative mental health perspective that could have stopped Mateen in his tracks. You can read more about Mateen in the workplace in this Daily Beast piece.

Photo: Hilary Swift for NYT

Preventing Domestic Violence at Work

The University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center

Domestic violence is an issue many people don’t like to discuss. It’s perceived as a “private” problem that should be dealt with inside of the home; however, there are active ways workplaces can and should take a stand against it. The example that the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center is setting is admirable, in the wake of two employee deaths within five months as the result of domestic violence. Like the St. Joseph Medical Center, more workplaces should institute awareness and prevention training programs to help employees support each other. However, around the world, more businesses need to institute policies to help support workers dealing with the fallout of domestic violence by providing paid leave, guarantees against discrimination, and measures to prevent harassment in the workplace itself. The more we can acknowledge and discuss domestic violence, the more we can thwart it – and ensuring that workplaces are psychologically safe for victims could be a key way of helping them. You can get more info on what the St. Joseph Medical Center is up to, and on domestic violence in general, at The Huffington Post. 

Photo Credit: University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, via The Huffington Post