Security - Employee Foreclosure

Question:

I have attended the Security Institute and have a question. Should security know if an employee is going through a foreclosure? In these desperate times people may become capable of desperate measures, but their personal privacy is also important. How do we handle this from a security standpoint?

Answer:

I also believe that a person's personal privacy is important to a point. For me, any change in an employee's lifestyle that may provoke a significant and accelerated need for money is the business of the security and human resources departments. The change doesn't mean the employee is bad, but the change may simply flag an at-risk employee. The term at-risk here means that the potential exists for the person's morals, values and ethics to become compromised.

Such a change doesn't mean that security or HR has to get involved; just monitoring the employee may be a sufficient response. Examples of negative events that may lead to significant changes may be either subtle or obvious, including:

Any arrest -- particularly one involving theft, drugs, alcohol-related offenses or prostitution;
Becoming a domestic violence victim;
Involved in divorce and child custody procedings;
Being denied a loan or a credit extension by the employer institution;
Assuming care and custody of an elder parent;
Caring for a spouse or child who now requires expensive medical treatment; or
Involved in a traffic collision without appropriate insurance.

While the level of security and HR's involvement must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and the policies and procedures mandating and regulating this involvement must be clear and institution-wide.

First published on BankersOnline.com 9/01/08