The recent news has filled with the tragedy that occurred at the beer distributorship in Manchester, CT. A disgruntled route driver was accused of having stolen from the company and reselling it on his own. As the story seem to be unfolding, the driver’s employment was terminated and he then requested a drink of water in the corporate cafeteria as he was being escorted out the building. Unknown to the corporate executives, he had previously stashed firearms in his lunch box and accessed them to start a shootiung rampage where eight people were killed.
Omar Thornton, accused gunman in beer distributorship massacre
While the event is still being scrutinized and investigated by police and law enforcement personnel, the business community is left to wonder how to ensure that their companies will not be next.
The nightmare that occurred in Manchester has at least three issues that cause enterpreneurs to pause:
- Racism
- Employee Termination
- Firearms at work
Racism
The alleged gunman’s family and friends are adamant that the employee was subject to numerous examples of racism, discrimination, and bias. The company refutes that the work environment was hostile in any way, and point to there being no record of any complaints registered. However, there is a lesson to be learned here.
Companies would be well served to constantly monitor and reinforce the importance of maintaining a discriminatary free environment. At the most mild, the “jokes” and teasing that may occur under playfulness in one person’s mind can and are very differently received by others. At the worst, the williful and intentional promotional practices, work assignment distribution, or other ways of interacting with empoloyees based on race of the employee are poor business practices and may be subject to legal raminfications.
Just passing out a handout or posting a form in a common work area about being anti-discriminatory is not sufficient. The practices and policies of the company must be vigilantly managed.
Employee Termination
Few things evoke more anxiety in business owners than having to terminate an employee. It is emotional for the people involved and can easily escalate into anger, tears, or other reactions. Based on reports, it appears that the beer distributorship approached this conversation as correctly as they could, they:
- Chose a location to have the conversation away from other workers in a neutral office.
- Had multiple executives were there, so it was clear it was a business decision and not just a personality issue with one person.
- Provided examples, proof, or evidence (work samples, performance appraisals, or video tapes in this instance) of why the performance is not up to standard.
- Offered an opportunity for the employee to resign or be fired (treated the employee like a person and recognized the importance of maintiainig dignity).
It is never easy to separate an employee from employment. Given that work represents how one meets financial obligations, it is not to be taken lightly. Prior to firing someone, attempts should be made to provide remedial training, management, and clear communication (in this instance, stealing is likely not something that could have been addressed by the company in any other way than firing).
Firearms at Work
The last issue is one that is controversial and continues to be debated in the courts. Lining up on one side of the discission are those that fear that firearms in the workplace may lead to acts of violence against others within the workplace. On the other side are those that maintain it is a constitutional right and that if MORE people were armed or had ready access to firearms in the workplace, it would serve to actually REDUCE the incidence because people could defend themselves before many were victimized. Additionally, the claim is that if a would-be shooter knew that others had guns at work, the concern about being shot themselves would limit the number of people who would even chance shooting others.
The danger is clear any time a business makes the decision to end someone’s employment. The steps to avoid confrontations like the Manchester beer distributorship from happening in any businesses require forethought and care. It is only through proper preparation that the likelihood of unexpected occurrences can be minimized. The beer distributor tragedy is a good wake-up call and reminder that all businesses should assess their current practices for handling problem employees, termination procedures, and ensuring that the work environment is a safe one for alll employees.
