How Should We Handle an Employee's Unexpected Outburst Due to Health Issues?

Dear All:

I would like to seek your help in resolving a matter in my current company.

We recently hired an engineer with over 7 years of experience. However, on the third day of his joining, he displayed abnormal behavior in the workplace. He threw the monitor, causing it to be completely damaged, and then proceeded to take off his shirt and shoes, running on the floor. After some time, he calmed down and expressed a desire to go home. Upon inquiry, we learned that this behavior was due to hypertension, for which he is under medication. Although we conducted a background check, there were no indications of such behavior in the past. Now, he wishes to return to work.

Please advise on the appropriate course of action. Some suggest termination, while others believe he should provide an explanation. Your suggestions would be appreciated.

Regards,
Manasvi

Hi friend,

I don't have such experience to say exactly. I think he is facing some problems psychologically. So, you can advise him that he has to submit his complete health report, including his psychological evaluation. Then, you can decide what to do.

This is my advice. You can also consider our friends' views.

Thank you,
Sreehari Raju

Manasvi,

In my point of view, you can speak with any of his immediate family members and request a medical fitness certificate (from a psychiatrist) to rejoin the job and continue his work. In case there are no issues, we can allow him to rejoin. However, if there are any problems, we can terminate him due to his abnormal behavior, which is justifiable.

Hi Manasvi,

Yes, I agree with your colleagues that he should be sacked!

Please have him evaluated by your company's authorized doctor regarding his behavior and discuss the medical reports with him. We all experience stress, but this behavior cannot be condoned!

Also, remember it is a matter of the safety of the office staff, equipment, and environment.

Please assess the damage and seek recovery.

Regards,

Rajat

The above problem can be sorted out by firstly asking for a medical certificate from his doctor. This needs to be addressed as his violent behavior can physically hurt somebody at the workplace. I suggest that until he is alright, you can organize a work-from-home facility for him. Terminating the employee right away would not be an ideal solution.

Dear Manasvi,

As far as these types of cases are concerned, it is a very peculiar situation for which you can't have any ready-made material on how to handle such a situation. In my opinion, this behavior has nothing to do with hypertension; it is only due to some mental disorder, which is very difficult to detect through a routine medical check-up. These issues may not necessarily be detected initially. For such medical examinations, continuous observation for long hours, which may even extend to a few days, is required. This is basically a psychological problem rather than hypertension.

The best approach is to talk to his family members; they must be aware of his peculiar illness. The key is to judge whether they are concealing his illness or accepting it honestly.

Then, try to convince them that this individual is unsuitable for the job. His behavior can cause problems for others, potentially even resulting in harm, so it is better to get him treated.

Additionally, you can ask for the employee's resignation amicably, as mutually agreed, to avoid any nuisance. If this approach doesn't work, then, of course, you have the second course of action, which is termination.

Hi Manasvi,

Don't think of terminating him for just a little thing. He didn't hurt anyone; he didn't scold anyone. So, how can you think of terminating him on such grounds? Just give him a warning letter stating that it should not happen again. Try to talk to him about why this occurred with him and keep an eye on his work and actions in the office. If everything is going well, that's good. Otherwise, you are free to terminate him. But do not terminate him at this time.

Please reply to me soon to let me know what you did.

Anurag Sharma

Dear Manasvi,

This is a great opportunity for you to study his personality. We, as HR professionals, often interact with individuals who have OCD, hysterical disorders, paranoid personality, etc. However, it is crucial for us to understand them, communicate with them, and provide counseling. Test your own abilities with this case.

Termination is not the solution for this issue.

Thank you.

Hey Manasvi,

Please don't terminate the guy yaar. As per what you mentioned, he has 7+ years of experience. That means he must have a family too, which he needs to support. If he gets terminated, the family will be in trouble. So, before taking any harsh steps, please try to find out the reason for his behavior.

HRs, I know, have to take care of many things, but they are also human beings with hearts. Please consider this from a human perspective rather than just an HR perspective.

As an HR professional, I would suggest you research the facts, have a discussion, and then decide on the next steps.

Just read the entire reply....

As HR, you have to counsel him and talk to his family if required. According to the severity, you can tell him to take leave and join once he is fine. As you say he is an experienced guy, it is better not to lose a valuable resource.

I suggest not going for termination at this point in time as he has not done any harm with that particular incident in the first place. If you terminate him, that will definitely cause issues for him, particularly psychologically. Therefore, it is best to learn more about this situation. A good way to start is by discussing this issue with one of his close relatives or friends who can provide insight into his psychological problem. Try to consider the associate if you can, and remember that "termination" should be the last option.

Regards,
Sajad A S