Press Release
Tackling Violence and Aggression over the Festive Season
Upskill People,8thNovember 2013: Christmas is a time for partying, but it is also a time where finances are under strain, alcohol flows, tempers flare and queues in stores get longer. Bearing the brunt of this festive aggravation is the nation's customer facing employees. One in five people at work are attacked or abused every year, just for doing their jobs and more than three million working days are lost due to violent incidents at work from both customers and colleagues. At a time when the retail and hospitality industries increase the number of temporary staff, the potential for escalation due to inexperience also rises.
Employers have a duty of care to help prevent aggression at work, to upskill their people to respond effectively and to be able to calm potentially violent situations. Helping organisations to do this is Upskill People, a leading provider of online learning which has launched a new online course titled Violence and Aggression at Work.
The course provides examples of incidents that might happen at work, from the point of view of stressed and disgruntled colleagues, and what to do when confronted by drunk, irate or violent customers. It provides practical role play examples and quizzes to ensure that participants have understood the training and gets them to think about the best way to react in confrontational situations.
Available 24/7 the courses are highly engaging and interactive so learners can put skills immediately into practice. With smart reporting, managers and supervisors can instantly see the progress made by members of their team, demonstrate compliance, and provide additional support if required.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, violence can lead to poor morale and a poor image for the organisation making it difficult to recruit and keep staff. It can also mean extra cost, with absenteeism, higher insurance premiums and compensation payments.
Employers are required to carry out a Workplace Risk Assessment, which includes assessing the risk of violence, but while identification is good, prevention is far better. The Upskill People Violence and Aggression at Work course enables employees to practice how they respond to potential situations in a safe and secure virtual environment so they will be prepared should a situation arise.
Pete Fullard, of Upskill People comments; "Many aggressive situations can be diffused with the right calming techniques, although sometimes these techniques fail and the motives of the individual are intentionally hostile. It can be very frightening when faced with this situation and is a matter for police intervention. However, employees will need the skills to be able to handle the situation until the police arrive and remember some crucial details that will help in any investigation."
Upskill People recommends the following actions to keep safe in a potentially violent situation
Stay calm, be passive and submissive.
Breathe slowly and calmly which will help to keep your voice calm, confident and controlled.
Avoid conversation unless completely necessary.
Rather than telling the perpetrator you are calling the police, ensure colleagues are trained to recognise a difficult situation and alert the police for you.
Keep a relaxed stance, keep hands visible and avoid sudden movements.
Keep a reasonable distance between yourself and the aggressor, face them and avoid direct eye contact. Don't turn your back.
Once you have removed yourself from the situation, record the incident immediately. If a pen and paper is not available, record on your phone or ring home and leave details on voicemail. Important details to remember include time of incident, appearance of perpetrator, number of people involved, distinguishing features, and clothing worn. Note where fingerprints may have been left, description of any weapon used and any accomplices or getaway vehicle used.
About Upskill People
Upskill People is a specialist online learning provider operating primarily within retail and hospitality. With a catalogue of more than 120 courses, Upskill People's portfolio provides all the essential skills and knowledge for both frontline and management staff, providing training on compliance of health and safety regulations, licensing laws, finance, recruitment and employment law. In addition, Upskill People provides a wide range of management and leadership development courses online.
As the training courses are completed, head office can track an individual's progress, compare training uptake with other stores, document compliance and integrate with payroll, to ensure leavers and starters are always up to date.
Clients include Best-One, De Vere, JD Weatherspoons, Las Iguanas, Malmaison/Hotel du Vin, Moto, Nandos, ScotMid, the Southern Co-operative, Travelodge and WHSmith.
www.upskillpeople.com. Twitter: @UpskillPeople
Press enquiries:
Veronica Hannon - Transform Communications
Mob: 077 52875285
Email: veronica@transformcommunications.co.uk
Kimberley Gray - Transform Communications
Tel: 0118 969 4904/07884 405835