Linn County policy looks to help staff deal with threats, disruptions

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Linn County Board of Supervisors is enacting a policy to help county staff handle incidents of workplace violence by employees or the public, making clear that physical, verbal or visual threats or other disruptive behavior are not allowed on county property.

Supervisors indicated support for the policy as a first step to crack down on people doing business with the county or residents who may get belligerent or disparaging toward staff — empowering staff to ask county managers, supervisors or department heads to intervene and end transactions with these individuals.

The three-member board is moving toward adopting a workplace violence policy that states “threats, threatening behavior, acts of violence, intimidation, or verbal abuse against employees or by employees or other individuals will not be tolerated. At Linn County, all threats and disruptive behaviors will be taken seriously.”

This is somewhat of an alternative to a proposal recently made by the Linn County Attorney’s Office to designate certain facilities as “non-public forums,” which the supervisors indicated they would not support. That proposal was an effort to keep the jail, juvenile justice center and county courthouse more safe for staff and users, who often are victims of a crime, witnesses or jurors or are someone involved in a divorce, child custody dispute or other sensitive legal matter.

Audio and video recording would not have been allowed in these designated areas outside of public meetings, with some exceptions including for media coverage or others conducting their work duties there, according to that proposal.

Supervisor Ben Rogers had said he was aware of disruptive people video recording in these areas, but he thought the proposal “would change the method in which they engage in their behavior” but not change the behavior itself. He said the proposal seemed difficult for the sheriff’s office to enforce and may hinder others who are trying to video conference in these spaces without “nefarious” intent.

Instead, the supervisors discussed and approved updates to the workplace violence policy Wednesday and are slated to formally adopt the final draft next week.

“I think it’s a good step,” Supervisor Chair Louie Zumbach said. “I hope it’s the final step we have to make.”

Changes to the workplace violence policy add language that county Risk Manager Steve Estenson said acknowledges the changing nature of threats as the county sees more verbal incidents that it did before the pandemic.

The policy is meant to protect the county’s right as an employer to provide a safe and healthy workplace, shielding employees from injury or threats but also mental or psychological injuries resulting from:

Employees engaging in this behavior would be subject to the county’s disciplinary policies and procedures. If a contractor, vendor or member of the public or other non-employee violates the policy, that individual — or those encouraging or participating in such behavior — would be asked to leave county property.

Law enforcement could be summoned to help remove those who do not leave and the individual could be subject to criminal charges. Authorities also may enact a no-trespass order if warranted, barring disruptive individuals from county property.

If the individual needs to come back for county business, they’d have to reach out to the risk management director and schedule an appointment.

Rogers said the policy is a necessary step to address more frequently-occurring problematic interactions with customers. This policy will “empower managers and front line staff within our ability to do so and within our culture to de-escalate first,” he said, but to end a transaction if needed.

Human resources staff also are looking into options to strengthen de-escalation training for county staff, Rogers said.

Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com