Spherion Legal

1.  You may refer to the URL of this Site without limitation, but You may not link to this Site without the prior written approval of Spherion.

2. You may not use the Site in order to transmit, distribute, erase or store material: (a) in violation of any applicable law or regulation; (b) in a manner that will infringe the patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property rights of others or violate the privacy, publicity or other personal rights of others; or (c) that is harmful, defamatory, libelous, vulgar, obscene, threatening, abusive, harassing or otherwise objectionable in the opinion of Spherion.

3. You are prohibited from violating or attempting to violate the security of the Site, including, without limitation: (a) attempting to probe, scan or test the vulnerability of a system or network or to breach security or authentication measures without proper authorization; (b) accessing data not intended for such user or logging into a server or account which the user is not authorized to access; (c) forging any TCP/IP packet header or any part of the header information in any e-mail or posting; (d) attempting to interfere with service to any user, host or network, including, without limitation, via means of submitting a virus or corrupted data to the Site, overloading, continuous posting of repetitive text, “flooding”, “spamming”, “mailbombing” or “crashing”; or (e) sending unsolicited e-mail,  “junk mail”, “chain letters”, including  promotional materials and/or advertising of products or services, or any other form of solicitation. Violations of system and network security may result in civil or criminal liability.  

The Site may only be used for lawful purposes. Spherion specifically prohibits any use of the Site, and all Users agree not to use the Site, for any of the following:

• Posting any incomplete, false, inaccurate or misleading biographical information or information which is not Your own accurate resume. Recruiters representing candidates may not send that candidate’s resume in response to a job posting.

• Deleting or changing another persons’ information posted on the Site.

• Posting or transmitting any message, information, data, text, software or images, or other material that may invade another’s privacy or publicity rights or is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, vulgar, obscene or otherwise objectionable in the opinion of Spherion.

• Posting a sexually–explicit image or statement.

• Using any device, software or routine to interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of this Site or any activity being conducted on this Site.

• Taking any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on this Site’s infrastructure.

• Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, using or attempting to use any engine, software, tool, agent or other device or mechanism (including without limitation browsers, spiders, robots, avatars or intelligent agents) to navigate or search this Site other than the search engine and search agents available from Spherion on this Site and other than generally available third-party Web browsers (e.g., Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Explorer).

• Other than as permitted expressly by these Terms and Conditions, copying or duplicating any of the materials or information available from the Site.

• Other than as permitted expressly by these Terms and Conditions, framing of or linking to any of the materials or information available from the Site.

Any feedback that You provide at this Site, including but not limited to, electronic and written correspondence, shall be deemed to be non-confidential and can be used by Spherion without limitation.

By using this Site, You agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend Spherion from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities and all costs and expenses of defense, including but not limited to attorneys’ fees, resulting directly or indirectly from Your use of this Site, unless such claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs and expenses arise from and have directly and solely been caused by the gross negligence or intentionally wrongful acts of Spherion.

1. Your use of this Site is free of charge. Therefore this Site and all information within it are provided on an “as is” basis and Spherion makes and gives no conditions, representations, warranties, or other terms regarding the effectiveness this Site or the Material in meeting Your employment objectives.

2. All conditions, warranties, undertakings, representations and other terms of any kind whatsoever, express or implied (whether by statute, common law or otherwise), in respect of the Site or the Material or in connection with them are hereby excluded by Spherion to the fullest extent permitted by law and Spherion shall have no obligation, duty or liability whatsoever to You.

3. Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, to the fullest extent permitted by law Spherion specifically disclaims and excludes all warranties or conditions implied by law or statute concerning satisfactory quality and fitness for purpose and reasonable skill and care.

4. Spherion does not guarantee that any employer or client will ask for Your resume, ask to interview You or hire You.

5. Spherion does not guarantee to any employer or client the availability of resumes or candidates, or that any candidate will meet Your needs.

6. Spherion uses reasonable care in compiling and presenting the information found on this Site. However, the accuracy of information supplied by candidates, employers and other users is not within the control of Spherion, and Spherion does not certify that it has verified any information in any job listing, resume, file or other posting entered into the Spherion database or available on this Site.

7. Further, Spherion does not assume liability for any errors or omissions in the content on this Site or any third party site, including, but not limited to, typographical errors, inaccuracies, outdated information, or broken links.

8. Spherion expressly disclaims liability for errors or omissions in the information found on this Site.

9. You acknowledge that in any computer system and any network of computer systems there is certain to be “downtime” due to mechanical, telecommunication, software, hardware and third-party vendor failures during which Spherion will be unable to provide this Site to You. Spherion cannot predict or control when such “downtime” may occur and cannot control the duration of such “downtime.”

10. Spherion uses this Site to provide the access, computer services and connections that link the Spherion database to the Internet and other network systems. Spherion has authority or control only over the operation of this Site. Nevertheless, You understand and agree that the Internet is inherently unreliable and subject to breaches of security. Therefore, Spherion cannot be responsible for the integrity of any information, file or other posting available on or sent to this Site.

11. Spherion has no authority or control over the content, operation or performance of any portion of the Internet including other Web sites to which this Site may be linked or from which this Site may be accessed. A link to a Web site not owned or operated by Spherion does not mean that Spherion endorses or accepts responsibility for the content or use of such Site and such link is being provided to You merely as a convenience. Reference to any product, process, publication, service or offering of any third party by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by Spherion.

12. The views and opinions of employers, candidates and other users of this Site do not necessarily state or reflect those of Spherion.

IN NO EVENT WILL SPHERION BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF SPHERION HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH ARE HELD INAPPLICABLE OR UNENFORCEABLE FOR ANY REASON, THEN SPHERION’S MAXIMUM LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY TYPE OF DAMAGES SHALL BE LIMITED TO U.S. $25.00.

1. Certain portions of this Site contain information that is considered confidential and proprietary. This information is not available to the general public. Any attempt to access this information will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible under local, state, national and international law. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel or otherwise any license or right under any patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right of Spherion or any third party, except as expressly granted herein.

Spherion, through its subsidiaries, maintains a number of trademarks, trade names and service marks in the United States and certain other countries, including, but not limited to, SPHERION®, the Spherion logo, MERGIS®, THE MERGIS GROUP℠, YOUR BRIDGE FOR THE BEST HIRE℠, ON-PREMISE®.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Spherion. This Site may from time to time contain “forward-looking” statements regarding the future financial performance of Spherion or other future events. These statements are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by Spherion in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors Spherion believes are important under the circumstances. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Among others, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the beliefs or expectations of Spherion are: industry trends and trends in the general economy, competitive factors in the markets in which Spherion operates, changes in regulatory requirements which are applicable to Spherion’s business, acquisitions and additional factors discussed in the Spherion filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company’s performance may differ materially from any projections contained in this Site.

1. Spherion makes no claims that the Materials may be lawfully viewed or downloaded outside of the United States. Access to the Materials may not be legal by certain persons or in certain countries. If You access the Site from outside of the United States, You do so at Your own risk and are responsible for compliance with the laws of Your jurisdiction.

2. These Terms and Conditions and use of the Site are governed by the internal substantive laws of the State of Florida, without respect to its conflict of laws principles. Jurisdiction for any claims arising under Your use of this Site shall lie exclusively with the state or federal courts within Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

3. If any provision of these Terms and Conditions are found to be invalid by any court having competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of these Terms and Conditions, which shall remain in full force and effect.

4. No waiver of any term of these Terms and Conditions shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or any other term.

5. No changes to these Terms and Conditions shall be made except by a revised posting on this page.

We provide staffing services to clients and job services to candidates seeking current or future job opportunities. We collect personal information to help connect candidates with jobs at Spherion and Spherion clients. We will process your personal information in accordance with this data protection notice (such personal information sometimes also referred to as “data”). For greater clarity, processing means any operation or set of operations which is performed on your personal information, such as collection, storage, adaptation, disclosure, restriction, deletion or destruction, among others (collectively referred to as “processing” or “process”). 

Except as otherwise set out below, we are the Controller of personal information (“Controller” within the meaning of applicable data protection legislation). For greater clarity, a Controller decides why and how personal information is processed and is responsible for ensuring that all data is processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. As the Controller, we will, alone or jointly with others, determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data. 

For the efficient operation and management of our business, we may jointly define the purposes and means of processing personal information with Randstad Group Companies (in which case the Randstad Group Companies may be defined as “joint controllers”). Examples of joint processing activities include, but are not limited to, those related to managing our Misconduct Reporting Procedure and Economic Sanctions checks. Please contact us (see the section “Contact us” below) if you want to know more and/or exercise your data protection rights regarding any jointly-controlled processing of your personal data.

Our use of innovative HR technologies for talent matching and services

We use innovative HR technologies that help us digitize and enhance a variety of recruitment-related processes. Some of these technologies use artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning techniques.

For example, we use chatbots to improve your candidate experience. Chatbots give you the opportunity to answer questions based on the requirements of the job you apply for.  This is a user-friendly way to:

• provide us with relevant information that may not be readily apparent from your application, profile or resume.
• know promptly whether your skills meet a job’s essential requirements and, if not, to easily explore other jobs or to identify gaps in their skillset.
• answer at any moment convenient to the user.

As part of the larger recruitment process, HR technologies allow us to connect candidates more quickly to our consultants.  This, in turn, allows our consultants to better support candidates in exploring jobs and to deliver the right candidates more quickly to our clients. HR technologies also allow our consultants to find people based not only on the jobs they qualify for but also on the basis of jobs they are interested in. 

Improving the client experience 

HR technologies help us to search through a broader and more diverse set of candidates so that we become even better at finding the best talent with the most relevant skill-set for our clients. 

Web beacons

Our emails may contain a single, campaign-unique "web beacon pixel" to tell us whether our emails are opened and verify any clicks through to links or advertisements within the email. We may use this information for purposes including determining which of our emails are more interesting to users, to query whether users who do not open our emails, wish to continue receiving them and to inform our advertisers in aggregate how many users have clicked on their advertisements. The pixel will be deleted when you delete the email. If you do not wish the pixel to be downloaded to your device, you should select to receive emails from us in plain text rather than HTML.

Responsible use of HR technologies

Randstad is committed to the ethical and responsible use of innovative HR technologies (you can read our AI principles here). 

We strive to involve human beings whenever we make decisions that significantly impact you.  If, in exceptional cases, we were to make such decisions based on a fully automated process (i.e., without involvement of humans), we will only do so where that is permitted by law and after having notified you.

To ensure all candidates are treated fairly we take steps to avoid bias where we use HR technologies. For example:

• We regularly test the output created by these technologies to identify potential bias.
• We regularly obtain expert advice to continuously improve the way in which we identify and remove bias.
• Both our consultants and our search and match algorithms are thoroughly trained and always work together.

We may share your personal information:

• with other entities of the Randstad group of companies for the purposes of efficient management of business, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and to provide our services to you and to our clients. For an overview of these entities, click here.
• with Spherion clients for the purpose of recruitment and provision of temporary work.
• with third parties providing HR-related services we use (e.g,. payroll service providers).
• with third-party providers of IT-related services (e.g., IT-infrastructure, software, and databases).
• with third parties providers of marketing-related services (e.g., software, databases, list providers and aggregators, event organization).
• with providers of professional services (e.g., to our auditors, our tax advisors, our legal advisors).
• with banks and insurers (e.g., in order to pay the salaries of our temporary workers we share some of their personal data with our bank).
• with pension funds. 
• with public authorities (e.g., pursuant to applicable law Randstad must disclose personal data to the social security authorities and to tax authorities).
• with law enforcement authorities, courts and regulatory authorities (e.g., as part of a criminal investigation).

We may also disclose your personal information to third parties:

• in the event that we sell or buy any business or assets, in which case we may disclose your personal information to the prospective seller or buyer of such business or assets; or
• if all or a substantial part of our assets are acquired by a third party, in which case the personal information that we hold about you may be one of the transferred assets.

When we share your personal information as described above, such personal information may be transferred outside of the United States. In that event, we will only do so in line with applicable law, and we will require that there is an adequate level of protection for your personal data, and that appropriate security measures are in place.

We have technical and organizational security measures in place to protect your personal information from being accidentally lost, used, altered, destructed, disclosed or accessed in an unauthorized way. We limit access to your personal information to those who have a genuine business need to know it. Those processing your personal information are governed by Randstad's rules for information and IT security, data protection and other internal policies and guidelines.

While we have measures in place to protect your personal information, it is important for you to understand that 100% security cannot be guaranteed. Accordingly, we have procedures in place to deal with data security incidents and to comply with legal requirements applicable to the detection, handling and notification of personal information breaches.

You have the following rights regarding your personal information: 

You have the right to know whether Randstad has collected personal information from you. You may request that Randstad tell you:

• the categories or specific pieces of personal information that Randstad has collected about you;
• the categories of sources where Randstad obtained personal information about you;
• the business purposes for which Randstad collects your personal information; and
• the categories of third parties with which Randstad shares personal information

You can make 2 such access requests every 12 months.

You have the right to request that Randstad delete or correct any of your personal information that Randstad has collected from you, with certain exceptions. We may refuse your request if we are required by law to keep the information, or if the law otherwise permits us to keep information. If we deny a request, we will tell you why the request was denied.

To exercise your right to access or delete or correct personal data, complete the form available at this link: https://www.spherion.com/privacy-request/.

Before we grant you access to or deletion of your personal information, we must verify your identity. To do this, we will ask you to confirm information we have previously collected about you. If we ask you to verify your identity, and you do not promptly cooperate, we may be unable to fulfill your request. We will make commercially reasonable efforts to fulfill your request within 45 days, however if we need additional time we may notify you during the initial 45-day period that we will extend the time frame up to an additional 45 days.

Spherion's services are only available to individuals over the age of 18. Spherion is not intended for and does not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18. If we believe you are under 18, we may delete your information at any time without notice to you. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under the age of 13 and believe that your child has provided personal information to us, you may use the “contact us” information below to exercise your rights as a parent or guardian.

We may update this notice from time to time. You can see the date on which the last change was made below in this notice. If we make any material changes, we will notify you by email (using the email address specified in your account) where required, or by a notice on this website. We advise you to review this notice regularly so that you are aware of any changes. By engaging with us after this privacy policy has been updated, you agree to the updated terms.

If you have any questions about this policy or any privacy concerns, or would like to exercise your rights, please contact us at https://www.spherion.com/privacy-request/ or 

Spherion Privacy Office

Randstad North America, Inc.

One Overton Park

3625 Cumberland Blvd SE

This statement was updated on September 13, 2022

• Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure (English)
• Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure (Spanish)

• Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure (English)
• Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure (Spanish)

• Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure (English)
• Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure (Español)

• Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure (English)
• Randstad's Sexual Harassment Policy & Poster - Chicago (English)
• Folleto de prevención del acoso sexual - Chicago (Español)

• Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure (English)

• Sexual Harassment Factsheet (English)
• Prevención del Acoso Sexual Factsheet (Español)
• Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy - NY Policy Addendum

There are many forms of workplace violence, which can occur among co-workers or be perpetrated by individuals from outside the workplace.  

Examples of Workplace Violence among Co-Workers  

• Concealing or using a weapon 
• Physical assault upon oneself or another person 
• Actions that damage or destroy property 
• Intimidating or frightening others 
• Harassing, stalking or showing undue focus on another person 
• Physically aggressive acts, such as shaking fists at another person, kicking, pounding on desks, punching a wall, angrily jumping up and down, screaming at others 
• Verbal abuse including offensive, profane and vulgar language 
• Threats (direct or indirect), whether made in person or through letters, phone calls or electronic mail 

Examples of Other Forms of Workplace Violence  

Domestic violence: Often, co-workers and supervisors believe that domestic violence is something that is not their concern, or a private family matter that should not be brought to work. But the problem and related harm do spill over into the workplace. If the victim has sought shelter or a restraining order, the workplace is frequently the place s/he can be found by the perpetrator. It is not uncommon for the perpetrator to show up at the work site to carry out acts of violence against the partner or anyone trying to protect that person. See the appendix for more on domestic violence. 

Violence or threats perpetrated by our customers, their employees or other third parties directed at a Spherion worksite or office: this includes bomb threats, which make up an increasing percentage of workplace violence incidents, as well as threats as a result of an employee not getting paid. See the emergency pay for employees section for more details.  

Workplace violence can affect and involve employees, franchisees, customers and visitors. It is impossible to quantify the costs, because a single incident can have sweeping repercussions. However, here are some of the potential effects:  

• Loss of life 
• Physical or psychological repercussions felt by the victim, as well as the victim's family, friends and colleagues 
• Loss of productivity and morale 
• Temporary or permanent absence of employee(s) 
• Property damage, theft and sabotage 
• Diversion of management resources
• Increased security costs 
• Increased workers' compensation costs 
• Public relations impact on the employer if news reaches the media 

Roles and Responsibilities  

Everyone at Spherion can help make a difference and prevent or mitigate workplace violence. Success in the protection of our franchisees, colleagues and employees requires your personal attention and, as necessary, appropriate action.  

All Individuals (Including Franchisees, Managers and Supervisors) are Responsible for: 

• Their behavior by interacting responsibly with fellow employees, supervisors and clients 
• Being familiar with the policy regarding workplace violence 
• Promptly reporting actual and/or potential acts of violence to appropriate authorities 
• Cooperating fully in investigations/assessments of allegations of workplace violence 
• Being familiar with the services provided by the Employee Assistance Program 
• Informing appropriate personnel about restraining or protective court orders related to domestic situations so that assistance can be offered at the work site 

Managers and Supervisors are Additionally Responsible for: 

• Informing employees of the workplace violence policy and program 
• Taking all reported incidents of workplace violence seriously 
• Investigating all acts of violence, threat, and similar disruptive behavior in a timely fashion and taking the necessary action(s) 
• Providing feedback to employees regarding the outcome of their reports regarding violent or potentially violent incidents 
• Requesting, where appropriate, assistance from functional area expert(s), such as Risk Management and Employee Relations
• Being cognizant of situations that have the potential to produce violent behavior and promptly addressing them with all concerned parties 
• Encouraging employees who show signs of stress or evidence of possible domestic or other violence to seek assistance, such as the Employee Assistance Program 
• Assuring, where needed, that employees have time and opportunity to attend training, e.g., conflict resolution, stress management, etc. 

Risk Management Team: 

• Helping to defuse violent situations, assisting with threat assessment and response activities 
• Providing technical advice and support regarding physical security matters 
• Assisting with or conducting investigations of threats or incidents
• Acting as liaison with local authorities and outside law enforcement agencies 
• Assisting in assessing the physical and social environment for potential negative and positive stressors (e.g., space, lighting, temperature, and noise level) 
• Assisting in emergency preparedness activities 

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is Responsible for: 

• Providing consultation and guidance to supervisors in dealing with employees who exhibit performance or conduct problems 
• Providing problem assessment for employees experiencing personal problems on and off the job 
• Providing short-term counseling and referral service to employees 
• Referring employees needing long-term counseling to appropriate treatment resources 
• Participating in conducting threat assessments, when requested 

Human Resources (Employee Relations) is Responsible for: 

• Assisting in assessing and investigating allegations of workplace violence raised by employees, supervisors, managers, franchisees, as requested 
• Providing technical expertise and consultation to help supervisors determine what course of administrative action is most appropriate in specific situations, including alternatives to discipline and the use of an alternative dispute resolution  process 
• Providing advice and counsel regarding personnel rules and regulations  
• Offering training courses to assist franchisees and colleagues in dealing with situations that may lead to potential violence, e.g., conflict resolution, stress management, negotiation skills, etc. 

All employees can report workplace violence, harassment, and threatening incidents without fear of retaliation. Each employee can report incidents of this nature in a confidential manner. It is imperative that all known incidents are reported without delay. 

All incidents shall be reported by Internal Staff to the Threat Team or HR Support. All facts and digital evidence need to be disclosed for documentation purposes. The Threat Team and/or HR will provide immediate guidance on the next steps. 

Employees reporting an incident are directed to contact their client supervisor and Spherion representative so the incident can be reported to the Threat Team or HR Support. The Threat Team will provide immediate guidance on the next steps.

The Threat Team will maintain a log of all incidents and investigative details of the incident. Employees are entitled to view or obtain a copy of the incident log within 15 calendar days of the request. A formal request can be made to the Threat Team or HR Support. A release of the log shall have redacted personal information, such as name, address, phone number, or any information that could reasonably compromise an involved party's personal safety and security. All medical-related information shall be redacted. 

In certain incidents of workplace violence, threats, and harassment, and where jurisdictions allow, Spherion may seek a civil workplace violence restraining order for your protection, if an incident took place at work. Spherion will be responsible for seeking the restraining order. You have the right to have your identity redacted from the order. If you believe you are in need of a workplace violence restraining order, please contact your Spherion representative. 

• Know the risk factors 
• Maintain a positive work environment 
• Maintain a secure and physically safe workplace 
• Education and communication 
• Know the warning signs 
• Don’t ignore the warning signs 
• Intervene early 
• Set expectations

 

Know the Risk Factors  

General research has identified several factors that may increase the risk of  violence for some workers. Such factors include:  

• Exchanging money with the public, such as delivery drivers 
• Working alone or in isolated areas 
• Providing services and care, such as healthcare professionals, public service workers, customer service agents, law enforcement personnel 
• Working somewhere alcohol is served 
• Time of day and location of work, such as working late at night or in areas with high crime rates 

At Spherion, we must be aware of those factors that put us at risk and take measures to prevent being in a situation of risk or putting other employees in a situation of risk.  

Maintain a Positive Work Environment  

Although no workplace can be perceived as perfect by every employee, there are several steps that management can take to help create a professional, healthy work environment that minimizes negative feelings, such as isolation, resentment, and hostility among employees. These include, but are not necessarily limited to:  

• Promoting sincere, open and timely communication among franchisees,  managers and employees 
• Offering opportunities for professional development 
• Fostering a family-friendly work environment 
• Maintaining mechanisms for complaints and concerns and allowing them to be expressed in a non-judgmental forum that includes timely feedback to the initiator 
• Promoting "quality of life" issues such as facilities and job satisfaction 
• Maintaining impartial and consistent discipline for employees who exhibit improper conduct and poor performance 

Maintain a Secure and Physically Safe Workplace  

The worksites of Spherion franchisees and colleagues differ in location and security in place. Some locations have a physical security presence, badging systems or other security measures. It is important if at any time there is a security concern or question about security measures in place to raise that concern. All Spherion franchisees and colleagues should notify Risk Management or designated police of suspicious or unauthorized individuals, who may be on or around our areas of work. 

Education and Communication  

Education and communication are also critical for prevention, specifically:  ∙ Ensuring employees, supervisors and managers are aware of all aspects of the workplace violence program, including what it is, what to do when faced with possible problems, roles and responsibilities, early intervention techniques, who to call for assistance, etc. 

• Techniques designed to effectively deal with conflict resolution, stress reduction, etc. 
• Support services that are available (at Spherion, counselors are available via the Employee Assistance Program.) 

Know the Warning Signs  

It’s important to know that signs may be demonstrated by perpetrators of violence, as well as those who are victims of violence. Although only one of these indicators may occur, it is more likely that a pattern will occur or that they will represent a change from normal behavior. Remember, the presence of any of these characteristics does not necessarily mean a violent act will occur. They may instead be indicators of another type of problem, such as being ill, depressed, bereaved, etc. 

Some examples include:  

• Attendance problems – excessive sick leave, excessive tardiness, leaving work early, improbable excuses for absences 
• Adverse impact on supervisor's time – supervisor spends an inordinate amount of time coaching and/or counseling employee about personal problems, dealing with co-worker concerns 
• Decreased productivity – making excessive mistakes, poor judgment, missed deadlines, wasting work time and materials 
• Inconsistent work patterns – alternating periods of high and low productivity and quality of work, inappropriate reactions, overreaction to criticism and mood swings 
• Concentration problems – easily distracted and often has trouble recalling instructions, project details, and deadline requirements 
• Safety issues – more accident prone, disregard for personal safety as well as equipment and machinery safety, needless risks 
• Poor health and hygiene – marked changes in personal grooming habits ∙ Unusual/changed behavior – inappropriate comments, throwing objects ∙ Evidence of possible drug or alcohol use/abuse 
• Evidence of serious stress in the employee's personal life – crying, excessive, phone calls, recent separation 
• Continual excuses/blame – inability to accept responsibility for even the most inconsequential errors 
• Unshakable depression – low energy, little enthusiasm, despair 

Don’t ignore the warning signs

This is an emotional and complex topic, and decisions about what to do in certain situations are not always straightforward or made in an objective state of mind.  Actual threats should always be taken seriously and responded to immediately.  When there is not an actual threat, judgment and senses should be trusted. If you feel that someone is dangerous, take the proper precautions. No employee will be disciplined or retaliated against for reporting in good faith an actual or suspected workplace violence situation.  

Additionally, please don’t make these common mistakes:  

• Ignore warning signs because you believe the signs are not important or are not your responsibility to address 
• Rationalize warning signs as "that's just the way he or she is," or “that is none of my business” 
• Not knowing where to go to get help in making determinations regarding real and potential risks 

Intervene Early  

This is vital to preventing escalation. There are many intervention options, and they vary greatly depending on the situation. Early intervention may defuse the initial situation and allow the supervisor to thoroughly review options for resolution.  Intervention sets the tone for how the situation will be resolved so it must be handled deftly.  

Set Expectations  

Supervisors and managers must be willing to take action when necessary. All employees must know that violence in the workplace will not be tolerated and that appropriate action will be taken if a threat of violence or violence occurs.

Follow these steps when violent or threatening behavior poses an immediate danger to people or property or when there is potential for violence based on behavior like verbal abuse, threats, property destruction, or expression of desire to hurt oneself or others. 

1. Secure your own safety and the safety of others. Leave the area if your safety is at risk. 
2. Call 911 if the situation requires immediate medical or law enforcement response or 988 to assist anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. 
3. Contact the Spherion Threat team.
4. Notify your immediate manager or next-level manager. 
5. Cooperate with law enforcement. Avoid speaking with the media; all inquiries must be directed to the Spherion US public relations team. 

For incidents involving a threat of suicide, you can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 to assist anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Use Spherion’s employee assistance program for employees in need of ongoing mental health support. 

When there is an immediate threat in the office:

If you have someone threatening you regarding pay, while physically in your office, immediately contact the Threat Team. 

The Threat Team will quickly assess the level of threat. The Threat Team may guide you in the conversation with the talent or ask to communicate directly with the talent to help resolve the issue.

Domestic Violence  

There may be early warning signs that this type of violence is escalating outside the workplace. The victim may show symptoms such as increased fear, emotional episodes, and/or signs of physical injury. Victims, as well as perpetrators, may show signs of work performance deterioration. By intervening when the early warning signs occur, even though violence may not yet have been committed at work, a serious incident may be prevented.  

In the event the perpetrator shows up at work with the intent of harming the franchisee or colleague and any others who happen to be in the way or involved, follow the procedures described in Level Two in responding to the immediate crisis.  

If it is known that an individual is being affected by domestic violence, whether or not the perpetrator has shown up at work, it is important to provide support and assistance. Not only is the person at risk for more and usually escalated violence, but it also has an impact on the safety and productivity of others.  

Below are some tips for franchisees/supervisors/managers when helping an individual affected by domestic violence.  

• Think about the safety of the individual, as well as everyone around her/him. 
• Talk with the employee about your concern of the possibility of the violence extending into the workplace and recommend that the employee contact the Employee Assistance Program.
• Recommend that the employee call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for more information about domestic violence or to help find local resources. 
• Contact Employee Relations for more information and/or assistance, if needed.
• Work with Risk Management and Employee Relations to develop a workplace safety plan in case an incident occurs at the workplace. 
• If the perpetrator shows up at work, call 911 immediately and follow the safety plan.

 

Suspicious Letters, Packages or Bomb Threats Made in Person or by Phone  

Follow the “emergency” situation response outlined above. Additionally, if it is safe to do so, document information gathered from a telephone or written threat from a safe location to assist law enforcement. Pertinent information may include:  

• Telephone number where the call was received 
• Exact time call was received 
• Telephone number of caller, and where calling from 
• Caller's estimated age (as determined by voice) and sex 
• Details regarding caller's voice (calm, excited, disguised, accent, etc.) ∙ Background noise, if any 
• Details of the alleged threat (time, place, etc. harm will occur) 

Medical Emergencies  

Contact the following, applicable to the event:  

• Call 911 and alert the Front Desk/Security (as applicable) so they can be prepared for first responders to arrive. 
• Call Risk Management. 
• Stay with and comfort the injured/ill person. If you are trained and willing, apply first aid. 

Reference Material  

• OSHA’s Workplace Violence Safety and Health Programs   

• Department of Homeland Security: Active Shooter Preparedness  

• The Truth Behind the Run and Hide Debate - Steve Albrecht DBA  

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