You're The Manager... What Do You Do? (1 Viewer)

[Keerock]

Employee who continually complains about pay, no raises, management doesn't care, etc. Tells his manager that he could "bring down the company" by compromising the data center (either hardware or software).  Not that he would, but that he could.

Manager reports this to HR.  Was reporting this "threat" the right thing to do?

 

[msommer]

Absolutely. 

 

[Deepster]

Definitely.

I would almost think even hinting at that could support a termination.  Are you supposed to wait around until they get passed over for a promo (for valid reasons) then come in one day to a blank data warehouse?  You don't need an employee like that.

 

[cstu]

I would fire him on the spot.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

#### Dennis Taylor! I'm not gonna apologize to that wimp.

 

[Tom Servo]

Absolutely. 

This is the absolutely correct answer. Threats to company facilities need to be forwarded up the chain immediately.

 

[IC FBGCav]

I would fire him on the spot.   No room for that kind of bs in the work place.

 

[Cjw_55106]

Why would you not report it? Id fire the guy. 

 

[Tackling Dummies]

Sounds lIke IT's version of Florida Man. 

 

[comfortably numb]

i would have upgraded his board...he would hate it and leave the company soon after that

 

[Parrothead]

Michael Bolton?

 

[Phil Elliott]

You would be fired after he brings down the data center if you knew about the threat. Work with HR to set him on a path of great pay raises somewhere else. 

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Sounds like pretty easy grounds for dismissal. Whatta dumbazz too.

 

[Cjw_55106]

I can see this jackass. Let me guess, hes the smartest man in the room at all times? 

 

[Foosball God]

Employee who continually complains about pay, no raises, management doesn't care, etc. Tells his manager that he could "bring down the company" by compromising the data center (either hardware or software).  Not that he would, but that he could.

Manager reports this to HR.  Was reporting this "threat" the right thing to do?

I think it depends on how it was said but, in almost all circumstances, yes it was the right thing to do.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Would already be gone if working for me.

 

[Vanilla Guerrilla]

I assume he was saying it in a threatening manner, not just pointing out that it's stupid to pay people poorly that have that kind of access.

 

[FUBAR]

sure, report it.  Partly to see if there's a way to protect the data center.

 

[Mors Venit]

I was only kidding

 

[shuke]

Definitely report to HR.

If he said it in a threatening manner, fire him.

If he said it in a manner that was pointing out a deficiency with the system, then I would have a long discussion with him about how he can channel his frustrations into something productive or start working on his resume.

 

[James Daulton]

I kind of hope he brings down the data center.

 

[Johnny Rock]

Immediately fired except in the rarest of interpretive circumstances. 

 

[mquinnjr]

I kind of hope he brings down the data center.

If he's not fired, of course.

 

[George Jefferson Airplane]

Have sex with his wife, then fire him IMO. 

 

[eoMMan]

How big are his boobs?

 

[Ditka Butkus]

Sounds like a terroristic threat. Report him to Homeland Security.

 

[George Jefferson Airplane]

Actually upon further review, have sex with his wife in the data center.  That'll show him. 

 

[mr roboto]

Only thing you can do is promote him. He holds all the cards clearly. 

 

[identikit]

I can see this jackass. Let me guess, hes the smartest man in the room at all times? 

No, that's MoP.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

100% with CSTU, you fire that miserable bleephole on the spot. 

 

[Keerock]

I assume he was saying it in a threatening manner, not just pointing out that it's stupid to pay people poorly that have that kind of access.

This is the sticky point...  He claims it was to it point out, manager obviously took it a little more seriously

 

[Zegras11]

Bunt

 

[ChiefD]

Change all the passwords. Then fire him.

Sleep with his wife while he is driving home. 

 

[Arizona Ron]

I think what's being overlooked here is the guy must feel he's not being heard.  That's a problem you need to fix first or it's going to happen again.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

This is the sticky point...  He claims it was to it point out, manager obviously took it a little more seriously

Isn't this how the fourth or fifth Die Hard movie started?

 

[mrip541]

Sounds like the company needs to start giving raises and listening to employees. One guy saying it means a lot of people are thinking it.

 

[Keerock]

Sounds like the company needs to start giving raises and listening to employees. One guy saying it means a lot of people are thinking it.

This is absolutely true, but doesn't change the question.

 

[Quez]

Employee who continually complains about pay, no raises, management doesn't care, etc. Tells his manager that he could "bring down the company" by compromising the data center (either hardware or software).  Not that he would, but that he could.

Manager reports this to HR.  Was reporting this "threat" the right thing to do?

Was he saying he could "bring down the company" because he was disgruntled about pay, no raises, etc.?  Or, was he saying he could "bring down the company" because the management doesn't care about something?  Maybe like a vulnerability he has pointed out?

 

[Quez]

If he was talking about "taking down a company", he is probably a little twisted in the head.  He probably isn't the kind of guy you would want to have your name on their " take down list.  Being a suspect in snitching him out to HR would likely land you on his list.  Then he might take you out.

 

[mrip541]

This is absolutely true, but doesn't change the question.

I think if it was so obviously non-threatening that the employee doesn't get the boot, maybe his manager should instead. But how could you ever know for sure?

 

[Keerock]

This is absolutely true, but doesn't change the question.

I think if it was so obviously non-threatening that the employee doesn't get the boot, maybe his manager should instead. But how could you ever know for sure?

Why boot the manager?  For reporting a non-threatening statement or for not keeping the employee happy?

 

[TheGooRoo]

What was the context of the statement?  Was the "threat" part 2 of his complaint about not getting a raise, company sucks, etc?   For example, was it, "I haven't gotten a raise, management sucks, this company sucks, I could bring down the company."(?)  Or was it some nerdspeak like "guys, we don't have a firewall, our data isn't encrypted, I (or any IT nerd) could bring this company down."

 

[Keerock]

What was the context of the statement?  Was the "threat" part 2 of his complaint about not getting a raise, company sucks, etc?   For example, was it, "I haven't gotten a raise, management sucks, this company sucks, I could bring down the company."(?)  Or was it some nerdspeak like "guys, we don't have a firewall, our data isn't encrypted, I (or any IT nerd) could bring this company down."

The former

 

[TheIronSheik]

Have someone else fire him.

 

[mrip541]

Fired perhaps too strong, but if a manager tried to get somebody in my office fired for, say, making an obviously harmless offhand joke or for pointing out irrational office policies, word would get around and no one would ever want to work with that person again. Instantly the new office pariah. People would see him coming over with a new project and just scatter. Remaining employees will think the guy generally sucks/is spiteful/is irrationally touchy/has poor judgment/will get you fired if he doesn't like you. Wouldn't want many managers like that in my company.

However, in this case it does kind of look like a threat, being strung along with a series of complaints. Only possible defense is if he simply meant to point out that his level of responsibility is far higher than his level of compensation.

 

[jb1020]

I kind of hope he brings down the data center.

Is it too late to give him a raise and some paid time off? 

 

[coyote5]

 

[SacramentoBob]

Fire him then sleep with his wife since he's a deadbeat.

 

[Tom Servo]

Sounds like a terroristic threat. Report him to Homeland Security.

I'm assuming this shtick.  However...

An office I used to work at was across the street from one of our substations (probably around 2004). The supervisor reported to company security that he saw someone taking pictures of the substation (locals wrongly assume that it serves Camp David; it does not). DHS was on him like white on rice asking all kinds of questions. Trust me; you want to make darn sure it's a legit threat to infrastructure before calling DHS. They'll give you a rectal exam for the report to gather every last scrap of information they can to assess the threat.

 

[BowieMercs]

report him. document it. start process to fire him if you need to do that. In VA, he'd be fired on the spot.