Termination and Threats of Violence

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Question:

We recently had a situation where a bank employee's live-in boyfriend was threatening to kill her. To make a long story short, we had to close the branch one afternoon because it looked like that was where he was going to turn up. If we keep this employee, it's likely the situation will surface again. Did we handle it the correct way? Can we terminate the employee to get rid of the problem?

Answer:

What is the policy of the bank for termination? I assume under your state's law the bank is an "at-will" employer, so for the good of the business letting someone go who is creating a "problem" would make sense.

The question of safety and security of customers and other employees is without a doubt on the side of letting the employee go. Is there another branch or geographical location the "troubled" employee could be transferred to?

However, what about the employee, who through no fault of their own, other than chosing a poor partner, is loosing their ability to earn a living? What about the bank's community goodwill, would this action cause a problem. Is there a potential law suit for wrongful discharge?

I seem to have posed more questions than answers here, but these are all issues that should be considered.

First published on BankersOnline.com 8/6/01