Mental Illness and Workplace Violence

The TrainHR Course is approved by HRCI and SHRM Recertification Provider.

Overview:
More and more people are being diagnosed with mental illness, and there are more resources than ever before to deal with mental illness. Have you sometimes referred to an employee as "crazy"? Maybe they are just "odd." If you do not handle these problems carefully, at best, you will find yourself in a nasty lawsuit. At worse, you will have someone with an uncontrolled mental illness showing up on your doorstep with serious plans to harm you or your workforce! This webinar will walk you through the thorny legal issues and offer some practical advice as well.

Why should you Attend: In 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported more than 23,000 significant injuries due to assault at work. More than 70 percent of these assaults were in healthcare and social service settings. Health care and social service workers are almost four times as likely to be injured as a result of violence than the average private sector worker. Nearly 2 million Americans report that they have been the victims of violence at work, and homicide is the most common cause of workplace fatalities for women. While not all violence is routed in mental illness, many incidences of violence can be traced to mental illness. Engaging in stereotypes that those who have a mental illness are prone to violence can land you in a nasty lawsuit.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Identifying the most common Mental Illnesses and their Symptoms
• When is Mental Illness a Disability Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Accommodating the Mentally Ill Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Mental Illness under the Family and Medical Leave Act
• When you can Demand an Employee to Undergo a Mental Health Assessment
• Dealing with Performance and Disciplinary Issues that may be caused by Mental Illness
• Most Common Signs of those with Mental Illness who may become Violent
• Your Duty to Provide a Safe Working Environment under the Occupational Safety and Health Act

Who Will Benefit:

• Company Owners
• Human Resource Professionals
• Benefits Specialists
• Risk Managers

Instructor: Susan Fahey Desmond is a Principal in the New Orleans, Louisiana, office of Jackson Lewis P.C which has offices in 59 cities across the country. She has been representing management in the area of labor and employment law since her graduation from the University of Tennessee School Of Law. She is a frequent speaker and author on a number of labor and employment issues. She is named in Best Lawyers in America and has been named by Chambers USA as one of America's leading business lawyers for labor and employment law.