OK, fair enough. One of your subodinates comes to you and says they saw a coworker murdering someone the night before. Your course of action would be to go to your supervisor and HR and forget about from there on? I'm sorry but when it comes to a crime this serious the only chain of command is 911. You then let the police sort it out.

 

Honestly, it just isn't as simple as you're trying to make it.

RM, I'm really trying to understand your position, but am having trouble. So if a co-worker that reported to you, told you they witnessed a fellow co-worker sexually assualting a female guest, you'd simply report it to HR and not notify the authorities? I don't understand how one can simply just do that and not have a feeling of guilt. :idunno:

RM, I'm really trying to understand your position, but am having trouble. So if a co-worker that reported to you, told you they witnessed a fellow co-worker sexually assualting a female guest, you'd simply report it to HR and not notify the authorities? I don't understand how one can simply just do that and not have a feeling of guilt. :idunno:

 

Because I also believe in the right to due process by the accused.

Because I also believe in the right to due process by the accused.

 

So you determine guilt on your own before calling the police? That's your job? The police and courts aren't part of due process?

 

This isn't "I saw Tommy stealing office supplies."

 

You're basically saying that ANYTHING involving a coworker goes to your boss, and doesn't leave the company? That's ridiculous.

So you determine guilt on your own before calling the police? That's your job? The police and courts aren't part of due process?

 

This isn't "I saw Tommy stealing office supplies."

 

You're basically saying that ANYTHING involving a coworker goes to your boss, and doesn't leave the company? That's ridiculous.

 

No. What I'm saying is that if I'm told something, but I don't have first hand knowledge or did not witness the incident, it's my duty to report it to the proper individuals (HR or my DO where I work now). It is my duty to report the incident so that the investigative process can proceed in a legal manner that doesn't violate the rights of the accused or accuser.

Because I also believe in the right to due process by the accused.

 

How in the world are they not still entitled to due process? They aren't being convicted by you calling the cops. You're doing your duty as a human being.

 

Would you be able to live with yourself if you simply reported it to HR, then a couple weeks later that same employee sexually assualted another female guest, only this time killed her? I sure as heck wouldn't be able to.

I would tell the police before I would bother telling someone in my HR department. That's absurd to think otherwise.

 

Are you talking about if you witnessed something or if you were told something second hand?

RM, I'm really trying to understand your position, but am having trouble. So if a co-worker that reported to you, told you they witnessed a fellow co-worker sexually assualting a female guest, you'd simply report it to HR and not notify the authorities? I don't understand how one can simply just do that and not have a feeling of guilt. :idunno:

 

You going to report everything you hear second hand to the police?

How in the world are they not still entitled to due process? They aren't being convicted by you calling the cops. You're doing your duty as a human being.

 

Would you be able to live with yourself if you simply reported it to HR, then a couple weeks later that same employee sexually assualted another female guest, only this time killed her? I sure as heck wouldn't be able to.

 

How can you be certain that if the incident were reported to the police the same would not occur?

And let's put this on the other foot. If you were accused, and the police were called and your reputation and career were on the line, how would you react? Even if you were cleared, what people remember is that you were arrested.

You going to report everything you hear second hand to the police?

 

If it deals with sexual abuse, especially to a child, you better believe it. Without question.

If I witnessed it, I go to the school president and police, not necessarily in that order.

 

If it's second hand info, I take that person to the school president and police.

How can you be certain that if the incident were reported to the police the same would not occur?

And let's put this on the other foot. If you were accused, and the police were called and your reputation and career were on the line, how would you react? Even if you were cleared, what people remember is that you were arrested.

 

1) You can't be certain, but you can sleep easier knowing you did everything in your power to prevent it.

 

2) It's not your job to worry about them. It's your job as a upstanding citizen to report potential crimes.

1) You can't be certain, but you can sleep easier knowing you did everything in your power to prevent it.

 

2) It's not your job to worry about them. It's your job as a upstanding citizen to report potential crimes.

 

In response RE:

 

1) What was within my power was reporting the incident to the people who are trained to investigate and determine if further action were necesary.

2) It IS my job as an upstanding citizen to report the incident to those trainted to investigate and determine if further action were necessary, because it is NOT my job as an upstanding citizen to falsely accuse someone. Both parties have rights. I don't believe that one person has more rights than another if all that I have to present is a second-hand accounting. If I were the eye-witness, I'd agree with your premise. But in this scenario, I'm the person being told about it by someone else.

^We'll have to agree to disagree RM. I just don't see the logic in that.

In response RE:

 

1) What was within my power was reporting the incident to the people who are trained to investigate and determine if further action were necesary.

2) It IS my job as an upstanding citizen to report the incident to those trainted to investigate and determine if further action were necessary, because it is NOT my job as an upstanding citizen to falsely accuse someone. Both parties have rights. I don't believe that one person has more rights than another if all that I have to present is a second-hand accounting. If I were the eye-witness, I'd agree with your premise. But in this scenario, I'm the person being told about it by someone else.

 

Are those people the police?