suicide threat by an employee

One of a senior sales employee in our organisation was found cheating by forging his expenses statement, when confronted he refused bluntly even after producing evidence to that effect, subsequently when we told him that it will not be possible for us to allow him to continue to work, he threatened that he will suicide. We allowed him to calm down and spoke to him after 3-4 days, but he continuted his stance saying that if we dismiss him, his life will be ruined and he will be left with no other option but to suicide. We have written a letter to the Local Police Station as well as at the Police Station where he resides. For the time being we have suspended him which he has accepted as well. He is a probationary employee and has joined has hardly 2 months ago and the misconduct (forgery) was found in the expense statement of the first month. We want to terminate him as per the appointment letter which says any employee who is under probation can be terminated without assigning any reason. we are worried for - his precious life leaving behind his family, he leaves a suicide note stating that he has been forced to suicide by us, putting us in legal trouble. We also do not want to keep him suspended for long so as to allow him to find an another job as this is a costly preposition.

Hi everybody, I am a new joinee in this family, I know this is a difficult situation, but I think some of you might have faced a similar one in your life. If yes, please guide me. If no, please suggest the best thing that comes to your mind. Any ways, thanks for reading this discussion thread and I hope it will be a learning opportunity for all of us. Best regards..Roopesh

problem to such mein serious hai ,

better consult and take decision from ur office management ppl ,

__________________

Dear Friends Kindly note the following, dont unnecessarily post thanks in any post, section thus increasing the posts, load on server. No one expects thanks from you. All members motive should be to share knowledge .
Reply only when u feel it is necessary to express your views, and not just to say thanks, sorry, good one, cheers, etc etc.

Hope you all fellows on citehr got my point and understood little of what I said.

with lots of LOVE,,

K.Ravi

He is trying emotional blackmail. Sack him and let him get on with it! - He won't BTW

You have done your work, Wrote to local police station that is enough.

Dear Roopesh,
This is infact a very difficult situation. Such kind of emotional black mailing is to be handled without any negligence. You have done a good thing by informing the police of his attitude. You can call him for a counseling also and suggest an alternative to termination by accepting his resignation. However, do not reinstate him since he is a fraud.

Regards,

Madhu.T.K

Please intimate to his family members about his fraud & blackmailing.

-SVS-

Thanks Ravi, The whole management is involved

Hello,

The problem is NOT difficult. It is simply tricky!

Having formally informed the concerned Police Stations, you have covered yourself well. Now what you need to do is:

1. With the assistance (involvement, actually if possible) of Police and/or his family-particularly the wife, also some close friends/relative, conduct a formal meeting explaining why he can no longer continue to be employed by the company (with document like his Appriasal Reports, document/facts showing his continued poor performance and the opportunities already given to him to improve.
2. During the meeting encourage discussion on ways to part ways. I am not saying that you should give him a golden handshake or something.
3. Give him time to relocate, say six months after which his employment with this company will stand automatically terminated. During this period he may be exempted from work and attendance but he should be paid his normal salary and benefits.
4. Engage his services contractually where he will be paid on the basis of concrete, measurable performance only. The initial contract will be renewable by mutual concent.
5. Create Minutes of the Meeting and ensure that all participating parties sign this document. Give him a copy of this document also and get the receipt acknowledged.

You cannot be more fair than this. If all this does not work out, record the efforts undertaken to rehabilitate him and TERMINATE his employment forthwith. If for the fear of possible legalities you avoid doing this you will have learn painfully the hazards of occupation.

If I sound harsh, kindly note that I am first attempting to rehabilitate him and only thereafter I am responding to adamance in equal measure.

Need more inputs, post them. Let all benefit!

Regards
samvedan
June 30, 2008
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Hi dear,
I agree with the sugessions given by samveden, but i would like to tell you that you should also consult some legal consultant for this situation. He can better guide. You have taken a good step by informing the local police. But you should send a copy of his written threat to his family also so that they dont blame you in case of his other step.


Daleep Sharma

Hi Roopesh,

like Samvedan said the situation is tricky. But the question here is do you let someone like him continue with the organisation.

sam, correct me if I'm worng... does the organisation hold the responsibility to rehabilitate the person... in this situation he is purely trying to take advantage of the situation & people around.

If he is up to these kinds of tricks (Forgery) in the very first month of his employment that means things like this is not new to him.

Best thing is try to check with his previous employer if there were any such cases reported about him during his tenure with them & also ingeneral about his charecter, conduct, etc..... Also try to find out from his family if the financial situation is so bad that he is trying petty things to get additional money. this should give you insight about the kind of person he is & wether you should give any weightage to his threats at all.

I do not think a person who is not hesitant to carry out illegal things would end his life just for being terminated.

Like the saying goes.... barking dogs seldom bite........ I see this to be a similar case.


Rgds
Roopa