In grade school, teachers taught us to “Duck, Cover and Hold,” in response to the common earthquakes we experienced in California. For children in the midwest, assembling in hallways, basements and getting low to the ground and away from windows during tornados is essential. For today’s adult workers, I ran across a workplace tips newsletter that offering this sobering advice about a disturbing new trend: violence in the workplace. Unfortunately it’s becoming a common occurrence for U.S. businesses to experience a violent incident. When it does happen, employees must be prepared to immediately “Run, Hide or Fight.” An organization must also prepare for emergency communications and have a plan in place. For public relations professionals, it’s essential to have a plan in order to respond quickly and appropriately to employees and various external publics–particularly the news media. Many proactive organizations prepare for crisis situations with written plans and practice drills. Nowadays, crisis plans must include preparation and response to employee violence.
Piggyback PR 