Pattie Hunt Sinacole offers guidance on how to handle
Q: In December, I started a new job. During my orientation, I saw a name on a document which caught me by surprise. The name belonged to a co-worker from a past job, who had been fired for striking another employee. It happened on the warehouse floor, and it was very public. About a dozen employees watched it, and one even took a video of it. I know there are cameras in the warehouse, to prevent theft and to make sure workers are safe. This guy gives me the creeps. If I was walking through the parking lot, I would be nervous about him. Do I mention this to my new employer? Or do I just keep my lips sealed? Should I tell my manager? I worry about a retaliatory incident, but also don’t want to be perceived as a spreader of gossip.
A: This sounds like a frightening issue. As with disclosing any concerning behavior in the workplace, there are risks associated with speaking up. However, I think your risk is minimal. If you have an employee handbook or a company manual, that might be a good place to start. What does your handbook say about respectful conduct, whistleblowing or retaliation? Some organizations have an anonymous phone number to voice complaints. Sometimes this phone number is even handled by a third party, which gives callers a bit more reassurance that the call will be handled confidentially. Callers can report anything from slippery steps leading to the front door, to inappropriate touching by a specific manager. This phone number might be one way to raise your concerns. Additionally, some companies offer EAPs (employee assistance programs) which provide confidential counseling and referrals. While an EAP may not be a perfect solution for this type of concern, it does offer a higher level of confidentially for an employee.
You can also contact HR and/or your manager. You can present it in an informative and measured way. “This may or may not be a concern for our company, but thought you should know…” type of messaging. You can report the concern, and then it is either HR’s duty or your manager’s responsibility to follow-up. I would suggest encouraging HR and/or your manager to view your company’s cameras. Your company may decide to take no action, other than keep a watchful eye on the warehouse. You have fulfilled your obligation though. You have provided your employer with helpful information, which may avert a future problem.
If you never shared your concern, and a violent incident occurred, it would be difficult to look back on what you knew but didn’t share. If aggressive behavior continued to occur at your current employer, this information may be helpful for your company’s leadership to know in advance. They may also have information about this person, from another source. Your company’s management team may have received another complaint about this employee’s behavior, or maybe there has been an interaction caught by one of the company’s cameras. This would point to a pattern of behavior which is even of a greater concern.
There may be some who disagree with my suggested approach. Ultimately you have to make the best choice for you. You can’t change what occurred in the past, but you may be able to influence what happens in the future. Can the information that you share avoid any further issues? I often put myself in the shoes of a family member. What if your daughter or son worked at your employer, and there was an additional incident in the workplace, and your daughter or son was the target of this behavior? Could this have been avoided? Then, the decision seems to an easier one, at least for me.
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