An employee at a Greensboro, North Caroliona, McDonald’s was physically attacked in June by a group of juvenile girls. They were fighting among themselves in the restaurant and turned on her when she asked them to leave.
In January, a routine refund dispute sparked explicit death threats by an aggressive customer against a crew of Paul’s Drive In in Kansas City.
In another recent incident, after receiving an order they said was wrong, two customers of LJK Round 2 in Baton Rouge left, then came back with a gun, leaving the owner hospitalized for weeks.
Violence against restaurant workers, particularly in quick and fast serve establishments, is rampant. Yet, it doesn’t usually start with a weapon. It takes other forms, at least initially: threats, verbal abuse, bullying, humiliation and degrading language or behavior directed at employees. It may or may not escalate to physical violence.
While the risk in the QSR sector trails certain other business sectors—think law enforcement and healthcare—violence is still alarmingly prevalent. Nearly 65 percent of restaurant employees overall are exposed at some point in their careers.
It’s usually meted out by customers, brought on late at night by aggressiveness or drunkenness or disputes over order accuracy and pricing. Vulnerabilities are heightened by workplace designs and service protocols.
There’s a price to be paid for such an environment by individual workers, but by the organization itself. A hostile work environment erodes wellbeing, morale, retention and performance. It reflects disengagement that can drag down profitability by as much as 23 percent.
Accepting abuse as a condition of employment is not acceptable. An effective prevention program that recognizes and responds to early warning signs of such a toxic environment, is essential. It shows an employer is taking seriously what employees experience every day.
The same systematic approach used for any workplace hazard will help construct a solid framework for the program. Here are the steps to take.
- Enlist leadership support. Credibility and momentum are best accomplished when your leadership views prevention as a top priority and treats it accordingly.
- Evaluate risks specific to the business. Every QSR establishment has a different risk profile. Employees may work alone in isolated areas. Alcohol service can up the exposure. Cash transactions pose another issue. Hosting large events is a risk as well. Identifying each factor that represents an exposure is key for shaping necessary controls.
- Establish clear policies and reporting channels. A written prevention policy covers threat assessment protocols, security measures and emergency procedures. Employees must have a simple and reliable way to report concerns, like a dedicated phone line, email address or clear reporting chain. If the process is complicated, people won’t use it.
- Training and empowerment count. Not only should employee be equipped to recognize escalation warning signs, but they need to know exactly how to report concerns.
- Build a threat assessment capability. One or two people must be assigned responsibility for evaluating and responding to reports. Also important are structured assessment tools that remove the subjectivity that leads to uneven responses.
By assessing vulnerabilities and implementing effective policies, organizations will create a safer environment where their teams—and business will thrive.
Kimberly Gore is the National Practice Leader of global insurance brokerage Hub International’s hospitality specialty practice. She has over 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry with a specialization in hospitality and tourism clients. Kim is responsible for a strategic approach to carrier relationships, specialization and best in class service to benefit each client. Kim is an active member of the insurance community serving as president of IIABHGC and as a board member for IIABSC and was awarded the South Carolina Young Agent of the year in 2010.
