AIBU to feel uneasy after workplace warning about individual posing a serious safety concern to staff?

[bonnietylerneedahero]

I work in a large organisation with 100s of employees. Today we received an email with the name and photograph of this individual saying they are not permitted on site. If they are seen or attempt to access any areas of the site

1. don’t approach or engage the individual
2. ensure their own safety and that of any nearby colleagues or service users
3. call 999 immediately informing the operator that there is a safety risk on premises (this was in bold print)
4. alert security on site
5. remain vigilant and report any sightings or concerns without delay

We were not giving any other information about what type of risk they pose and what alerted them of the risk.

I am now feeling very nervous about walking around the premises and walking to and from my car. The staff car park is a good walk away from the office. I also didn’t see any visible security presence on way to the car park.

what reasons would they have for not releasing more details? And how can I keep myself safe? I am very concerned given the wording of the email, does it sound like this person is known to the police? The email we received came from the lead of our department, which had been forwarded several times to different staff groups but no major staff alert to all staff.

I just don’t know what to think. But I left early so I wouldn’t have to walk to my car alone.

That’s very strange. First thoughts are the person has a connection to someone who works in the office and there are fears they mean to cause that person some harm. Perhaps there is a restraining order or an incident has recently taken place.

Its possible they cannot state what sort of risk is involved as they may not have been convicted of a crime (yet) and that could currently be constituted as slander/libel.

Edited for spelling

I suspect there is some sort of issue with privacy to do with why this individual is a risk. I wonder if there are specific employees who are at direct risk of this person, like a domestic violence issue for example. And they may not want everyone to know their business.

As much as it may feel like you would like the full details - the main thing is that you have the instructions that this individual is a risk and what to do if you come into contact with them.

If it is a police matter then often information is released on a strictly need to know basis.

i think if you were personally at risk you would be told. Therefore , although unsettling, you may find there is absolutely no other impact on you whatsoever.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the situation. It’s been playing on my mind all day. I was worried about this but your rational reasons have helped.

the workplace is a hospital so very accessible and hard to police flow of visitors. If it was an individual or DV type threat I’m not sure there would have been so many heads of departments copied into the original email.

the head of nursing sent out the initial email so possibly a patient threatening staff.

Given the setting you’ve described it makes a lot of sense that it may be a patient - and this also explains the confidentiality and therefore lack of detail

Is there a plan b, though, if it’s a healthcare setting, say an ER, and the person presents themselves in need of medical attention? What’s the protocol? If it’s an individual who poses a risk to an employee personally known to him/her, is that different to a random person with general bad intentions?

F

You are very within your rights to reply to whoever sent and ask what they are doing to increase security until this person is found. Say exactly rhat you are concerned to walk to your car etc. It feels like it should be easy to arrange a convoy of people to walk to the car park together for example, many of the shifts will finish at the same time?

I’m not sure what would happen if he presented to A&E or urgent care, I’m sure there will be a protocol in place. My department is very specialised so occasionally we will treat prisoners as they can’t get their care on a prison ward and there is a protocol for that.

my friend works in A&E and she frequently deals with patients kicking off and threatening staff. We have never received an email regarding staff safety for these patients This is the first time we have been informed (as far as I’m aware) which makes me think there is more to it than what is being shared. My instinct is that it’s a specific type of threat and they don’t want to cause hysteria

The staff in my office all have different start and finish times. The full timers work on 4 x extended days and part timers have varying start and finishing times depending on childcare etc so it’s not easy to say we’ll all leave at the same time. But yesterday I finished early so I could walk with another colleague and I logged in at Home to complete my hours.

Most likely scenario is that he's a violent and stalker-ish ex of a female employee who is likely to be in danger from him. Your vigilance is beong requested to keep her safe but for her own privacy and dignity they aren't telling everybody who she is. You are unlikely to be in any personal danger unless you try to confront him or block his way rather than following the instructions to call police and security.

It's fine to structure your working pattern to ensure you don't have to walk to your car alone. That is a very sensible precaution because then if the man is hanging around one person can make the phone calls while the other keeps watch.

have you not worked there long?
surely that is a standard thing sent out - i have heard of these
i wouldnt worry

Why would you not worry about a possible threat to your safety?

Didn't something along these lines happen at a college this week?

ask management op for some rape alarm or what safety protocol is

They are probably not that much of a threat, but when you send emails they have to be formal and management don’t have time to go round everyone and say “there’s this disgruntled loon who has a gripe…..”

What are you going to do anyway, not go to work?

Very likely to be domestic violence threat against a specific staff member but they obviously can’t disclose that for reasons of confidentiality.

Been there about 16 years, never received anything like this previously.

I feel it’s not a DV type thing. Why would the email suggest that all staff are potentially at risk? It’s a big hospital spread over a large area. It would be relatively easy to protect the department of one individual, the easy suggests it’s more of a risk to all staff

It must be an aggrieved ex client, supplier, service user or staff member.

I'm guessing there were some probably empty threats thrown around and this person is consequently barred from site.

I've had that once where one freelancer did something negligent (idk what) and was furious about his removal from the job. A memo had to go round to not let him into the office/speak to him and for nobody to ever use him again.

I'd ask what they're doing about security, particularly around the staff car park, which sounds like a 'blind spot'.

Yes, it’s also not really on the hospital site and to get there you need to walk across a very isolated footpath that links to the housing estate where I believe this person lives.

I used to work in a school

we had this quite frequently.

usually it was teenage boys who either were a student with us or had left recently who had threatened to kill other students or members of staff.

i taught one of them once - he wasn’t allowed on site due to previous assaults against staff and carrying of a weapon so I taught him in a little room just off the reception.

once he got bored of the lesson and wandered out so reception sent an alert and four male senior staff turned up and surrounded him. They managed to persuade him to leave the site.

it’ll be something similat probably - a known violent person who has a grudge against the hospital and has made credible threats.

Im quite surprised at that, its fairly commonplace in social services buildings, GP surgeries, dentists, hospitals, schools.

Unfortunately.

We have a range of pictures on our notice board of people who have made threats, who arent allowed on the premises, who have smashed windows and doors at the building.

Have you not googled the name?

Yes. Not much information

It wouldn't be easy if nobody knows what the man posing a risk to her looks like. And she's still entitled to privacy, rather than have her awful situation broadcast across the hospital and internet.