News

CWP Spring Webinar Series Begins Feb. 5

CWP Spring Webinar Series Begins Feb. 5

February 5, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Center for Workplace Performance will host its first spring semester webinar, “Workplace Violence Protection,” on Wednesday, February 5 at 8 p.m. EST. This free webinar will be presented by Antone Aboud, professor of practice, and count towards 1.5 SHRM/HRCI Recertification Credits.

Please note you must register online before the start of the webinar to save a space at the gathering. When you receive a confirmation email, there will be a location on the email that will allow you to update your calendar.

 

Program:

Workplace violence is not a recent phenomenon. More than one hundred years ago it occurred frequently in the context of labor/management disputes. The Homestead Strike is but one example of gun battles causing deaths at work. In the past fifty years, the type of violence that has emerged is most commonly characterized as “going postal,” an event where a person, in a fit of anger, lashes out at co-workers with weapons intended to cause death. Whether an incident occurs in a post office or school or any other venue in which work occurs is less important for our purposes than the fact that both the traditional and social media are likely saturated with stories and videos recounting the horrific nature of the destruction of life and property these events create.

At the same time, we must be aware that most violent episodes at work do not result in death or even serious injury. For example, when someone is sexually assaulted at work, it is often the case that the encounter leaves no visible physical injury. And not all violence is directed at employees. There are institutional settings (e.g., psychiatric centers; developmental disability locations) where vulnerable individuals are subjects of physical and mental abuse. Most such circumstances result in only minor injuries, certainly not significant enough to make the national news.

Agenda:

  1. Definitions of workplace violence
  2. Types and frequency of workplace violence
  3. The origins of workplace violence
  4. Creating a workplace violence prevention program
    • Creating a Policy
    • Creating a Plan
    • Identifying Risks
    • Analyzing Risks
    • Creating Solutions
  1. Workplace violence and organizational culture

About the Presenter:

Antone Aboud, Ph.D. is a professor of practice at the School of Labor and Employment Relations at Penn State. He is also the Online Program Team Leader. In that capacity he is not only involved in the daily management of the online programs, but also actively involved in course creation and revision processes as well as the School's Outreach Program.

Aboud received a B.A. degree in Government from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in Collective Bargaining, Labor Law and Labor History from the ILR School at Cornell. Originally, he worked full-time in SUNY's Office of Faculty and Staff relations, became a faculty member at SUNY (Utica/Rome and Potsdam) and then at St. Francis College. In those capacities he taught Labor Relations, HR Management, Labor Law, Management Theory and Organizational Behavior. He also served as a labor arbitrator for several years, and as a chief labor negotiator for both unions and employers.

January 31, 2020

CWP Spring Webinar Series Begins Feb. 5