IUPUI

Human Resources Policies

 Employee Relations 317-274-8931

Service Maintenance Staff

5.6 Workplace Violence

Staff covered by this policy
 This policy applies to all nonacademic employees on the IUPUI campus
Introduction To accomplish its missions of teaching, research, patient care and public service, IUPUI strives to maintain a safe environment. Accordingly, threatening behavior and violence will not be tolerated.

Each department head, manager, supervisor, and employee is responsible for keeping the workplace free of threats and violence.  This includes intimidating, hostile, threatening, or violent behavior by employees or non-employees (vendors, job applicants, visitors, spouses, etc.) against self, others, university property, or property on university premises belonging to others.

This policy covers all university premises and university-sponsored events as well as off-campus sites should an incident occur that is shown to have an adverse impact on the university.
Threatening behavior Threatening behavior is defined as an express or implied threat to interfere with an individual’s health or safety, or with the property of the university, which causes a reasonable apprehension that such harm is about to occur. 

Any staff member who engages in threatening behavior will be subject to serious disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment. Examples of threatening behavior include, but are not limited to:

  • Direct or indirect threats of harm
  • Words or gestures which intimidate others
  • Prolonged or frequent shouting
  • Stalking or following an individual
  • Conduct which causes others to fear for their safety
Violent behavior Violent behavior is defined as the use of physical force or violence to restrict the freedom of action or movement of another person or to endanger the health or safety of another person or the property of the university.

Violent behavior is so serious that individuals who engage in it can expect termination of their employment. Examples of violent behavior include, but are not limited to:

  • Unwelcome physical contact
  • Slapping, punching, striking, pushing, or otherwise physically attacking a person
  • Throwing, punching, or otherwise handling objects in an aggressive manner

PROCEDURE 5.6

Reporting and investigating workplace violence
  1. Any person who experiences, witnesses, or has knowledge of threatening or violent behavior has a responsibility to report the situation as soon as possible.
    1. In the case of an actual or imminent act or threat of violent behavior, call the IUPUI Police Department at 4-7911.
    2. In all other cases, the report should be made to the employee’s supervisor or department head and to Employee Relations in Human Resources Administration.
  2. All reports of workplace threats or violence will be investigated promptly and impartially and as confidentially as possible.
  3. Employees are required to cooperate in any investigation.  A timely resolution of each report should be reached and communicated to all parties involved as soon as possible.

Any form of retaliation against employees for making a bona fide report concerning workplace threats or violence is prohibited; therefore, such retaliation must also be reported.

Reporting nonwork-related violence Employees who are victims of domestic or nonwork-related violence, or who believe they are potential victims of such violence, and fear it may enter the workplace, are encouraged to promptly notify their supervisor, department head, IUPUI Police Department, or Employee Relations in Human Resources Administration.  Such reports will be investigated as described above.
Non-disciplinary and disciplinary action
  1. Upon a completed investigation, incidents will be reviewed before proceeding with non-disciplinary or disciplinary action according to the principles of just cause.
  2. Examples of actions that will be taken when a person has been found to have violated this policy include, but are not limited to, the following:
    1. Mandatory participation in counseling
    2. Corrective/disciplinary action up to and including termination
    3. Criminal arrest and prosecution
    4. Special procedures such as job relocation or initiation of a court order
  3. If, upon investigation, it is determined that a report was falsified or made maliciously, the employee who provided the false information will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination, as well as possible criminal arrest and prosecution.
  4. Those who believe they are a victim of threats or violence, whether work related or not, may also contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to obtain advice in dealing with the situation.

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