Case Studies
Employee Terminated for Threatening Another Employee
An employee threatened the life of another employee and the company decided to terminate their employment. During the investigation, it was discovered the employee was also facing multiple criminal charges for domestic violence against their spouse. The company consulted OPS to develop a threat management strategy and craft the termination message. OPS helped the company frame the termination message to minimize the employee’s adversarial stance toward the company. Additionally, OPS leveraged the employee’s family members as threat management partners to serve as tripwires of a possible escalation of concerning mindset or behavior toward the company.
Former Employee of a Multinational Corporation Harasses C-Suite Leadership
Customer Harasses Employees and Communicates Threats
Over a period of several years, a customer with numerous grievances harassed employees while on company property and through the company’s voicemail and social media. Employees reported the customer’s train of thought was difficult to follow, their actions and communications were frantic in nature, and they made numerous threats to themself and others. The company consulted OPS to develop a threat assessment and management plan to deescalate the behavior. OPS developed a strategy that involved the customer’s mental health provider and local law enforcement, who confirmed the customer had a history of police contact—with at least one instance resulting in a psychiatric hold. The customer received the mental health treatment they needed, and local law enforcement continues to conduct proactive check-ins to ensure their fixation on the company is appropriately managed.
An Employee Experiences A Stress-Induced Manic Episode
An employee repeatedly sent his supervisor concerning text messages in the middle of the night about life stressors resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest in the spring of 2020. Since some text messages contained themes of violence, the company consulted with OPS to assess and manage the employee’s behavior. The investigation revealed a pattern of significant stress and insomnia, coupled with a newfound enthusiasm for the shooting range. OPS developed a management strategy utilizing empathy and compassion to provide the employee with resources to receive the treatment they needed, and coordinated with the employee’s trusted family members to get the employee voluntarily committed to the hospital. Once the treatment was complete, the employee successfully reintegrated back into the workforce and was grateful for the company’s support during their mental health crisis.
