As the summer heats up and we reach record breaking temperatures, we must be aware of the changes that are taking place in the moods of our employees.  I’m not talking about physical health concern behaviour but we all know that when the weather becomes uncomfortable at a consistent level the irritability of people will rise just as fast as the heat.  This summer we face a particularly unique challenge with the one thing that does mercilessly continue to rise; inflation.  As the price of virtually everything goes up, we now are forced to decide which luxuries we will treat ourselves to, and as we all know with decision making comes debate and of course with debate comes arguments which can often be accompanied by hostility.  As we all try and make our dollar stretch even further, we make valiant attempts to cut back, to the point where we sacrifice the integrity of our own comfort.  This summer is a bit of a different animal due to the fact that technically it is the inauguration of our first full summer with the inflated hydro rates. So as we wipe the sweat from our brow, we are faced with the age old question; “do I pay now, or do I pay later?”  There is no doubt in my experienced mind that this decision process at the thermostat will lead to an increase of fuel used by our local police departments.  The rise in domestic assaults can be directly attributed to a few things and yes, right at the top of the charts; number one with a bullet, are finances.  So now allow me to create a very hypothetical scenario:

The price of land, water, air, food, hydro, water, fuel, taxes, entertainment, and of course alcohol has gone up and due to the poor economy, let’s say one half of the household is now down to part time hours (for lack of argument – we will say the full timer is the Husband).  Let’s throw in the fact that the temperatures are now in the 40’s (with the humidex of course); however, the one that is at home for the most part is usually the one that is more conscious of the finances; therefore, more conservative of the energy (after all between 11am and 5pm are peak time rates) hypothetically of course.  Now we have the husband coming home after a long extremely hot day at work expecting to be enveloped by much cooler temperatures than he had just left behind.  But as he heads towards the thermostat with what little energy he has left, he is sternly confronted by the voice of reason reminding him that they can’t afford to have the house any cooler than it is.  This of course escalates his already heated mood as he thinks back to the hard uncomfortable day he has already suffered.  Now there are thoughts of incompetence as her protest is interpreted to imply incompetence in the fact that he can’t provide for his family as they are forced to tough out the heat wave.  Now he has had it; he thinks to himself, “How dare she say those things to me”.  I go in there and slave away all day while she sits at home; shortly after his irrational frustration driven thoughts become audible. 

What do you think comes next?

Well lucky for us this is just a hypothetical situation, there’s no possible way all those factors could align causing such a scene; a perfect storm if you will.

How does this relate to and what does this have to do with workplace violence?  The simple answer is since June 15, 2010 everything.  As we are all aware it has now become our duty in Ontario as not only management but as co-workers to be aware of the changing moods and behaviour that may illustrate either abuse or out of the ordinary anger.  As we become conscious of such things, we must initiate preventative action and protect our employees and fellow workers; domestic violence in the workplace affects everyone in the organization.  As standard police policy in the vast majority of domestic abuse cases where there is evidence of hostility, the abuser is taken to jail immediately and not afforded release until placed in front of a Justice of the Peace in the next day bail court.  Based on the severity of the incident it will then be determined whether or not the abuser is released on consent or will require a bail hearing.  A bail hearing will of course mean more time in jail as they await the date.  In all cases of release, the abuser will be put on terms to not contact the victim at their place of residence, their place of employment, and (where applicable) their place of education.  So what does all this mean?  This means that if the abuser is seen on company property it is an immediate breach of their release terms (the promise they made to the court) and warrants an immediate return to jail with no questions asked under the power of one phone call.  It can also mean that this individual is now very angry at what their trusted better half has done to them and (in their minds) the position they have put them in.  In some cultures this could be very dangerous as a sense of ownership exists and in their mind nobody is going to stop them from retrieving what is; albeit irrationally, deemed their property.

The bottom line is that awareness is the key in order to avoid any of these aforementioned situations.  If we are aware this type of issue exists, we need to make everyone at risk aware as well.  This includes all the frontline workers such as the receptionists or any type of gatekeeper in any capacity.  A picture of the abuser and the vehicle should be readily available as well as an immediate way to summon assistance.

In a domestic situation betrayal is front and centre in regards to both vantage points: the victim never imagined that the person they shared their vows with would ever do anything to hurt them; the abuser never imagined the victim would ever throw them in jail for “accidentally” hitting them.

So as we go for our evening walks and are unable to hear the pleasant whistle of nature as the roar of every air conditioner in the neighbourhood trumps that peaceful sound, maybe we should think about the compromise that has occurred in every household…or lack thereof.

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