Angry Employees

Services Private Investigators Can Provide When Employees Pose a Threat

Cornered and Scared

Employees can get backed into a corner when their perception (true or false) is that they are going to lose their job or are going to be disciplined from an employer.  People react differently to adversity.  Some do well and handle tough news appropriately.  Others yell and argue but it is really just barking without the bite.  And then there are others who perceive a great injustice befell them through no fault of their own.  These may be the employees who pose a threat to the company and their co-workers.

Who are these people? 

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Socially, these people may be perfectly functional.  They are able to get along with others and may even be leaders.  But just below the surface lies a crippling character flaw.  This flaw leaves them fragile as a result of rejection of one sort or another.  They basically cannot handle what life throws at them.  This trait was recently on display in California where a troubled young man evolved into a mass murder.  By his own admission, his ego could not handle being rejected by females and as a result, he could not cope with it.  This is certainly one of many factors of his personality but probably contributed to his actions.

The big clue

Of course this is an extreme case of violent reaction and there is no doubt about this person’s historical mental trouble.  However, there is something to learn from active shooter behavior which could benefit business leaders when trying to discern dangerous employees.  While there is a continuum of fragility and a person’s capacity to act out, one key to look for is an enduring and consuming grievance they are dealing with.  This trait is manifested in an escalation of behavior which can be detected if you are tuned in.  Suffice to say, the biggest clue is that these people often broadcast their intentions prior to causing problems.

Semper Paratus (Always Ready)

While it can be scary to think that you may have someone capable of murder lurking within your ranks, it should be pointed out that the probability of workplace shooters remains low.  While you should always consider this possibility, know there are more frequently occurring types of violent behaviors which work place managers must contend with.  These risks need to be addressed as both a probability and a reality.  Training, preparation and consulting with professional help when developing plans of action are always recommended.

Help is available

Here are come common services provided by professional investigators to companies that suspect potential employee violence or disruption when termination or discipline is dispensed.

• Background research – This passive option is used to find out what may be lurking in public records or in social media that may provide insights into motives and potential behavior.  
• Investigation – This active option is often overlooked. Talking with the subject, his co-workers, family and neighbors may best be handled by someone representing the interests of the company.  
• Security presence – Having security on-site at critical junctures, either overtly or covertly can provide peace of mind and confidence for those company officials carrying out the necessary actions.  And if something does go awry, the protection is there, just steps away.  
• Surveillance – Often, after an employee is let go, his actions are observed for a few days to make sure he is not planning on coming back to cause chaos.  
• Executive Protection – This goes beyond the protection of company executives but may may also be extended to their family members if the situation is deemed serious enough.  
• Police Liaison – Coordination with local law enforcement is enhanced by professionals who know how to communicate in the language police speak.  It also frees the company to concentrate on the business side of things while receiving concise updates of police activity or requests through the investigator.    

The Crime-Business Balance

Is it responsible to ignore crime if you think you have a just reason?  

The Cost

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Business operators look at risks and decide how much of it to tolerate. Part of tolerating a certain amount of risk can also mean revealing a willingness to take losses for the sake of generating sales and absorbing market share. This balance is famously summed up as "the cost of doing business." This cost is typically measured in dollars but to gain those dollars, you have to give something up.  What that something is may not be quantifiable but it is real.  Such is the nature of risk taking.

Fight or Flee

A trade-off lumped into "the cost of doing business" is tolerating a certain amount of crime.  We commonly hear of employee theft or shrinkage.  We hear of malingering and filing false worker's compensation claims.  Not every loss due to crime can be stopped but for the most part, they are confronted and mitigated everyday by professionals who work hard to protect their business from this financial erosion.  These issues exist as a result of criminal behaviors of individuals and to ignore these issues, would be ruinous. Anything less than a total concerted effort stop this behavior is not the norm. Unless, however, that effort to stop the behavior impacts market share. Take for example, the interesting decision by Microsoft to cease internal investigations related to theft for the sake of market share.

Investigation Compromised Business

Not long ago, Microsoft uncovered the theft of a source code for one of their products.  They were able to track down the source of the leak through an internal investigation.  The Microsoft investigators "cracked" the case by legally accessing a Hotmail account of someone involved in the scheme.  An ex-Microsoft employee was subsequently charged in Federal court for this theft of a trade secret.  Despite the investigative success, the case revealed Microsoft's access to and review of their customer's Hotmail account.  Despite this practice being the legal right of Microsoft, the appearance of backlash over the perceived privacy violation resulted in a policy change at Microsoft. So, instead of conducting their own internal investigations involving stolen property (intellectual or physical) the company "will refer the matter to Law Enforcement if further action is required."

Law Enforcement to the Rescue

By passing investigations along to law enforcement, Microsoft is banking the invasion of their customer's Hotmail accounts via search warrant will deflect any ill will toward the company as they would have to be compliant with the law.  This makes it sound better to the privacy concerned customer and Microsoft sees itself as being on the moral high ground of the privacy issue.  It really reveals how much Microsoft perceives privacy to be a critical market share driver.  This is where the trade-off for this policy change gets dangerous. Regardless of their motivation for the change Microsoft is also gambling that the public servants in Law Enforcement can adequately protect their intellectual secrets.  This is a tremendous vote of confidence for local law enforcement and hopefully, for Microsoft's sake, they have the talent and resources to do the job.

One Risk for Others

Even if law enforcement is up to the task, this shift in policy still leaves gaps. For one, Microsoft is potentially giving up critical time by passing this along. Law enforcement, no matter how much access they have, will still not be as quick to respond as company investigators.  Another issue would be this knowledge is now known to criminals. They know where the weakness lies and have gained valuable time to move information out of the company. Finally, and most importantly, what if a criminal act impacts the stability of a platform?  Microsoft may have the ability to stop this issue but because of an internal policy, they pass it to an outside source.  In the mean time, a critical event occurs and a system is compromised.  Hopefully, Microsoft built protections into their policies and procedures to prevent this from happening.

Win - Win?

In the end, "the cost of doing business" is a slippery slope especially when it comes to finding a balance between market share and tolerated losses.  It is revealing how privacy issues in the marketplace have altered this equation. What may be lost are the voices of those customers who would rather lose a certain level of privacy to ensure a stable service from a company that does not yield to criminals for the sake of market share.

Balancing Investigation While Imposing Corporate Will

Using a professional investigator reduces friction while strengthening corporate standing

Busted and Frayed

Have you ever been hauled in front of the principal?  Ever been pulled over by the cops? Ever been taken to task by a customer?  These are some common instances where you are confronted by an authority; a person or institution that can impose their will upon you.  And when that will is imposed, it can cause a pit in your stomach.  That pressure applied to your conscious tells you to think twice before doing that again.  

This is a desired effect of someone or an institution wanting to change your behavior.  It is not life threatening, but it certainly has an emotional and psychological impact.  More often than not, the experience is going to change your behavior.  

Will it or Won’t it

When faced with delicate issues, often internal and employee related, a business can use the imposition of its corporate will to effect positive change. Similar to being pulled over by a police officer for speeding, the impact stops the behavior and you are likely drive slower going forward, even when you get off with a warning.  But in a business setting, finding the right cop can be a difficult proposition.

If, for example, there is a concern by a business owner or department head that employee misdeeds are taking place, the objective would be to halt the behavior and fix it.  In a case involving employee theft, a common reaction is for the ranking supervisor to conduct the investigation.  That is not always the best way to go about resolving the problem.  The perception employees have of their supervisor’s authority to conduct an investigation of theft is diminished somewhat because the theft is being perpetrated right under their noses. Further, the supervisor may not be qualified or have the nerve to conduct such an investigation.  They are then perceived as someone who could not effectively impose the corporate will.  If they cannot impose a will, they may not be able to resolve the issue.  

Thoughtful Force

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Internal theft is an obvious issue where businesses could utilize an investigator to resolve the problem.  Consider the following: The issue is professionally investigated, and from the findings, corrective action is applied.  Importantly, the investigator is seen as someone who effectively imposes the corporate will.  And sometimes a deterring impact is more desirable for the health of your business than a referral to law enforcement or some other resolution that might demoralize and distract employees. Utilizing an investigator also reduces potential friction between management and employees. It helps deflect animosity by placing the act of imposing the will of the company on the investigator even though the investigator works for the company.  This subtle shift goes a long way to maintaining critical working relationships.  

Theft and Beyond

Opportunities for involving an investigator go beyond general theft issues. Consider use of investigators in the following circumstances:  

• Mediate employee disputes 
• Thwart office bullying    
• Redirect extramarital affairs that have their origins in the workforce and are causing disruptions 
• Mitigate threats of workplace violence 
• Control domestic disputes of employees spilling over into the workplace.
• Investigate sabotage, employee espionage and security violations  
• Conduct a variety of compliance audits 

As situations are evaluated, outcomes must be considered.  Deciding on utilizing an investigator could be wise if confronted with these scenarios:  

• Intervention by supervisors, management or directors may result in undesirable outcomes
• Important working relationships could deteriorate or be destroyed if the intervention is done internally
• The situation could trigger law enforcement intervention but you’d like to resolve it before it gets that far. 
• You don’t want to put your management staff in a situation that they are not equipped to handle.
• You don’t want your employees dismissed and your operation turned upside down but you want the behavior and culture to change.  

Professional investigators offer business thinkers the opportunity to retain control of the situation and resolution by extending their authority through them. This buffer can preserve the company’s relationship with their employees when tough love needs to be administered.