EVALUATION REPORT – Workplace Violence Prevention Program
June 2000
Introduction
In October 1998, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) implemented a Workplace Violence
(WPV)1 Prevention Program to decrease the incidents of violence in the workplace of all FSIS
employees. Workplace violence is defined as any type of violence, threat, intimidation or other
disruptive behavior in the workplace.2 This evaluation assessed the Agency’s policies and procedures
for preventing and remedying violence in the workplace.
A survey was administered to approximately 1300 employees across the Agency. (See Attachment 1).
In addition, a small number of telephone interviews were conducted with supervisory and non-
supervisory personnel who had reported a situation to the Workplace Violence Hotline.
Approximately 416 respondents provided feedback on current policies, information on personal
experiences, and recommendations for prevention of violence in the workplace.
Major Findings
The following is a summary of key points from the evaluation.
• Almost all respondents were aware of the Agency’s WPV Prevention Program and feel safe at
work.
• Most all respondents read and found useful both the Workplace Violence Policy Statement and
Preventing Workplace Violence Guide. However, confusion exists about the definition of
workplace violence. Many were uncertain if acts of intimidation, improper jokes and disruptive
behaviors are examples of violence.
• WPV situations range from the relatively straight forward incident (e.g., an employee hitting
someone) to complex interactions over a period of time that require a more thorough investigation
by the WPV Program Assessment Team3. The most complex cases often involve accusations by
third parties, by inspectors of plant employee intimidation or personal threats, or by plant
management of inspector harassment.
• Nearly one-third of respondents experienced some type of WPV incident of which the majority of
cases were reported prior to the October 1998 imple