Take the Risk Out of High-Risk Employee Terminations

One of the worst parts of being in human resources or a management role is having to let employees leave their jobs. Although this is never an easy task, sometimes employees must be released due to behaviors or performance that are adversely affecting the company, and the longer they stay, the more difficult it becomes. We consider these high-risk employees because, even if they are expecting termination or have been failing to meet probationary terms set by management, they strike fear in other employees and management due to their unpredictability or violent outbursts. Not all high-risk employees are overt about how they feel about their jobs, management, or other factors beyond their control. In many cases, even a quiet, reserved employee can be a threat, depending on the circumstances, which is why hiring a skilled, unarmed private security guard during anticipated layoffs or terminations is a sound investment for any company.

High Risk Employees

Most employers don’t see their employees as a risk unless they exhibit overt aggression or discontent with management. However, there are other red flags that management should take note of, especially when an upcoming termination or disciplinary action is planned against the employee. Some employees can physically make people uncomfortable through body language, and this is also a sign of a high-risk employee. Other signs that most don’t recognize include excessive absences without explanation, a significant life event, emotional and uncontrolled outbursts, and acts of rebellion against management.

Disgruntled Social Media Posts

Social media is often misused by employees, and social media posts can quickly become crude or seem like attacks on a person or company. Increased attention is being paid to social media posts as our nation faces growing threats. Individuals often forget, or don’t know, that social media is out there for everyone to see. Social media posts against an employee, management, or the organization would not be taken seriously. If you are concerned about an employee and have an upcoming termination or disciplinary meeting, please get in touch with a professional workplace security provider.

Go With Your Gut

It is surprising how many employers still don’t hire private security guards even when the more obvious signs are present, and often they regret that decision because productivity halts. If an incident occurs in the workplace, the company is responsible for providing counseling to anyone affected. If your employees bring you their concerns, or you have a gut feeling there may be retaliation or strong emotional reactions to upcoming management decisions, please go with your feeling and contact a professional workplace security provider.

Anticipate More and Hope for Less

In employee terminations, it is better to anticipate a stronger reaction or an outburst and avoid it than not expect it and face a scary situation for employees and potentially customers. Terminations and exit interviews can include yelling, screaming, crying, and worse. To protect human resources, management, employees, and customers in businesses, take a small step to ensure their safety and hire private security guards for the event.

Depending on the nature of the business, only skilled security guards can adapt and be prepared to respond to threats or emotionally charged situations, de-escalating and minimizing workplace disruption. The last thing business owners want is for production to stop, employees to leave, and lawsuits to come in. Workplace violence, which is often tied to high-risk employee terminations, is one of the leading costs to organizations today – an incident can devastate many companies because even when they saw it coming, they ignored the signs and didn’t put any measures in place to protect against risks. The best advice for anyone responsible for letting employees go is to never ignore red flags and to encourage employees to speak up if they see them. A cohesive security and safety approach to the workplace is the best approach.

Skilled Security Professionals

When it comes to giving employees peace of mind in the workplace, security guards are an affordable solution. Whether in the lobby, monitoring access daily, or prepared for a one-time event, qualified and skilled security professionals will make a difference in high-risk employee terminations. Even the most seasoned human resource professionals may hesitate to release an employee who has shown acts of aggression or made threats. In these scenarios, there is no reason not to have a security guard in the room or outside the door during the termination. Once the meeting is over, security guards professionally escort terminated employees to their workspace to return company property, clean out their workspace of personal belongings, and then escort them off the property. In some scenarios, collecting a parking card or access id is essential to securing the business after a high-risk employee termination. This should not be the burden of your HR team or manager.

 

Don’t let a high-risk employee termination leave you and your team nervous and hire professional and skilled workplace security guards from Off Duty Officers. Call today at 844-517-5603 for a free quote. We can accommodate last-minute requests and tailor a solution to your needs and budget.