Would your staff know how to cope with a situation in which their life was being threatened? Do you have procedures in place? It is an obligation of employers to ensure the safety of their employees under both federal and state law (Qld). See the story below for an example of how common these threats really are...
Centrelink staff receiving death threats
September 15, 2008, 8:15 amMore than 80 per cent of Centrelink employees say they have been threatened by a customer at work, with some even receiving death threats.
One Centrelink staff member had a customer threaten to cut them up with a chainsaw, while another was given a cartoon which depicted them hanging from a noose, a national survey released on Monday reveals.
The Community and Public Services Sector Union (CPSU) says its report proves the government must act together with Centrelink management to tackle the causes of customer aggression, such as long queues and waiting periods.
"Staff tell us while local managers are doing their best to protect and support frontline workers and customers, senior management need to do more to make offices safe," CPSU deputy president Lisa Newman said in a statement.
"The federal government needs to bring together Centrelink management, ComCare, the union and welfare groups to review the issue."
Around one in three Australians are Centrelink customers and the agency has 27,000 staff, mostly women, employed at over 1,000 locations, the union says.
Its survey of 330 staff members found 81 per cent reported being threatened by a customer, 32 per cent had received a death threat and 29 per cent had been physically assaulted at work.
The types of assault included customers jumping over desks to attack staff, tipping objects off desks and throwing office chairs, computers, garbage bins, food, telephones, pens, paper and magazines at employees.
Knives were brandished at staff who were sometimes slapped, hit and punched by customers.
The CPSU says on average one Centrelink employee is subject to serious workplace violence each week.
But Centrelink general manager Hank Jongen disputes the union's findings.
"Our figures indicate nowhere near that level of abuse, either verbal or physical, across our network," Mr Jongen told ABC Radio.
"On average we are required to call the police to our offices on about three occasions per year. That's about three call-outs per year, per office."
Intimidation of staff wasn't accepted, and Centrelink took any such incidents "very seriously".
"There's a whole process where we provide affected staff with free support.
"There's assistance and safety and security advisers. On top of that we've been working with the federal police."
Source: Yahoo7 News
