Council takes a strong stand against violence in the workplace

Published on 02 July 2019

Pyrenees Shire Council will not sit by and tolerate violent and aggressive behaviour.

Council employees have the right to feel safe at work every day.

It is unfortunate to see a trend where our staff are faced with violence and aggression while trying to do their job.

Staff who work in frontline customer service roles and in regulatory roles are increasingly dealing with aggressive people.

Mayor Robert Vance said Council staff deserved respect from the public at all times.

“The health and wellbeing of our staff is paramount,” Cr Vance said.

Councillor Damian Ferrari said Council has a responsibility to provide a safe, fair and equable workplace.

“It is really important we stand united and send a very, very strong message that any form of violence or aggression will not be tolerated and will be immediately acted upon,” Cr Ferrari said.

“This sends a very strong message and we must be committed in that,” he said.   

Council has a zero tolerance to workplace violence and aggression, as stated in its Health, Safety & Wellbeing Policy.

Council is working on developing materials and installing signage in its offices to encourage better behavior from the public.

Council reiterated its support for a zero tolerance policy at a recent meeting in May.