Employment Industry News
Minimizing the Risk of Employee Sabotage
May 2011
A terminated employee, allowed access to computer files prior to leaving, emails sensitive files to himself at home, and later shares them with key competitors.
A disgruntled employee, recently denied a promotion, makes false claims of sexual harassment against her supervisor. Though the claim was later dismissed, it still caused the organization embarrassment and out-of-pocket costs.
What is Employee Sabotage?
“Employee sabotage constitutes intentional harm to an employer and is typically motivated by either self-interest or revenge,” says Jathan Janove, an HR expert, author and employment lawyer. While much sabotage involves computer technology, there are other ways that employees choose to strike back. Esecially during tough economic times.
Be Prepared
Janove notes that HR professionals can play a valuable role in prevention, detection, and correction. Their familiarity with the workforce, including status and prior histories of employees, gives them an opportunity to learn where an employer may be vulnerable, what employees might be tempted or inclined to commit acts of sabotage, and what needs to be done to nip problems in the bud.
Ironically, says Janove, fear of sabotage has inadvertently led employers to act in ways that increased employee desire to commit acts of sabotage. “I’ve encountered situations where employees found out they were losing their jobs via a group email or because they could no longer log into their computers. I’ve seen situations where employees who’d never broken any rules were summarily marched out the door, escorted by security and paraded past coworkers, carrying boxes of their personal belongings.”
Treat Staff Well
Rick Maurer, Arlington, VA, an authority on change management and organizational health, says sabotage happens when people are angry, so you have to look at why they’re angry. “Often, I believe, they’re angry because they were treated shabbily. They were summarily Minimizing the Risk of Employee Sabotage kicked out the door.”
Sabotage is not inevitable, say Maurer and there is much that HR professionals can do to minimize risk to their organizations. The most important factor: Treat all employees personally and respectfully, especially when being terminated.
While HR professionals are notably pressed these days to handle more with less, and may understandably become somewhat emotionally immune to the impacts of layoffs, downsizing and restructuring on employees, they need to force themselves to remember the human aspects of what they’re doing. In the vast majority of cases, treating dismissed employees fairly and with respect may not make them happy, but they are far less likely to lash out at the organization.
Along with ensuring that departing employees are treated with dignity, HR is also responsible for taking administrative steps to minimize risk to the organization from the process.
Develop a Plan of Action
Take into account the “who, what, when, where and why” of the situation. Plan carefully when, where and how to tell employees they’re terminated. Have appropriate staff, such as counselors or security, present or readily available.
Immediately terminate the employees’ access to company systems such as email, Internet, phone systems, computers, key card entry, etc.
But, whatever you do, do it with grace and civility and maintain the dignity of your about-to-be-ex-employees. ▲
For More Information:
Employee Sabotage
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/1999/02/22/smallb3.html
10 Cases of Employee Sabotage
http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/story.jsp?storyId=225549614
How to Counteract the In-House Saboteur
http://www.di.net/articles/archive/2084/