Employee Threats—Should You Take Them Seriously?

By Gerry Adams

gerryadamspi@yahoo.com

 

 

         Terminating an employee is rarely a pleasant experience for business executives, but what happens when the terminated employee threatens your life and the lives of family members?

 

         Sound like something that only happens in Hollywood?  Maybe, but according to Gerry Adams, a private investigator and principal of a Seattle private investigative agency, scenarios like this one are becoming more common everyday.

 

         “In an era where corporations are forced to downsize in order to stay competitive many long-time employees are being let go,” Adams said.  “In many instances these employees become extremely resentful of the person firing them and threaten bodily harm or even death to them and their families.”

 

         Another instance where employees tend to threaten employers is when they are caught embezzling money or stealing equipment from the company.  Faced with the reality of losing their job and reputation, these employees become desperate and in many cases will do anything to retain their job, including making threats. 

 

         “Many of these threats are made in the heat of the moment and probably won’t be carried out, but executives need to take them very seriously,” said Jennifer Garrepy, a private investigator working for Adams.

 

         If a business executive has received a threat from a former or current employee, Garrepy suggests contacting company security or and outside private investigative agency specializing in executive protection.

 

         “Our investigators are highly trained in many areas including executive protection,” Adams said.

 

         “Executive protection can take on many forms from escort to bodyguard,” Garrepy said.  “We recognize there is no one formula for every situation, and tailor our services to the needs of each client.”

 

         Whether it is escorting the executive from work to home, or accompanying them on a business trip, Adams takes care of the smallest details from accommodations to inspecting automobiles to chartering helicopters, Adams said.  “Safety is our number one priority and no detail is overlooked.”

 

         Gerry Adams manages a full-service private investigative agency specializing in intellectual property infringements, fraud, embezzlement, internal theft, and executive protection.

 

         The agency has been providing investigative services to many of the Pacific Northwest’s leading companies for over 30 years.