Best way to approach dealing with employee who urinated in front of office?
We received a complaint from a neighboring office - they spotted someone urinating directly in front of their building, in the parking lot.
They gave a description which matched our new employee, and our cameras confirmed this person exited our building just before the time of the offense.
We do have indoor toilet facilities, but it's possible they were both in use at that time.
Need advice on how to approach this. What level of disciplinary action should be taken?
*Edited to remove some information which might make the situation identifiable.
Jobadvisor
This is a delicate but serious situation that needs to be handled both firmly and discreetly. Public urination is not only a health and safety concern but also a matter of company reputation and professionalism.
Here's a structured approach you could take:
1. Gather All Facts (and confirm the severity):
Review Camera Footage Thoroughly: Confirm it's definitively the employee and that the act was deliberate. Was it truly in the open, or was there some attempt at concealment (which still wouldn't excuse it, but might factor into the disciplinary discussion)?
Check Toilet Availability: You mentioned they might have been in use. If there was genuinely an emergency and all facilities were blocked, that's still not an excuse for public urination, but it adds a layer to understanding the employee's state. However, it's highly unlikely all facilities were unusable for an extended period.
Neighbor's Complaint: Keep the details of the neighbor's complaint on file.
2. Prepare for the Meeting:
Involve HR: This is crucial. HR should be present during the discussion to ensure compliance with company policy, labor laws, and to document everything properly.
Consult Company Policy: What does your employee handbook say about workplace conduct, public indecency, or actions that damage the company's reputation? This will guide your disciplinary action.
Decide on Initial Disciplinary Action (Tentative): Based on your policy, determine what the initial disciplinary action might be. For a first offense of this nature, especially from a new employee, it could range from a formal written warning up to suspension or even termination, depending on the severity of the act and company culture/policy. Public urination in front of an office is often considered gross misconduct.
3. The Meeting with the Employee:
Private and Professional Setting: Conduct the meeting in a private office with HR present.
State the Purpose Clearly: "We need to discuss an incident that occurred [date/time] in the parking lot outside our building."
Present the Evidence (Objectively): "We received a complaint from our neighbors, and our security footage confirms that you were observed urinating in the parking lot in front of their building at approximately [time]." Avoid accusatory language initially. Stick to the facts.
Allow for Explanation: "Can you explain what happened?" This is important. While it's unlikely there's a justification, there might be an explanation for their actions (e.g., medical issue, extreme emergency, misunderstanding of location/visibility). Listen carefully without interruption.
Address Any Excuses/Explanations:
"Toilets were busy/unavailable": Reiterate that this is never an excuse for public urination. Emphasize the availability of multiple facilities and the expectation of professionalism.
Medical Emergency: If they claim a medical emergency, you might need to explore this further, potentially requiring doctor's notes, etc., as per HR policy. This might mitigate some disciplinary action but likely wouldn't eliminate it entirely, as other options (like finding a more private spot, or returning inside) should have been considered.
Intoxication/Substance Use: If this is implied, it opens up a different set of HR protocols, potentially involving drug/alcohol policies.
Explain the Impact: Clearly communicate the seriousness of the action:
Violation of company policy/professional conduct.
Damage to company reputation with neighbors and potentially clients.
Hygiene/health hazard.
Potential legal implications (public indecency laws).
Inform of Disciplinary Action: State the disciplinary action being taken, referencing company policy. Explain the consequences of any future similar incidents. This could be:
Formal Written Warning: Emphasizing the seriousness and zero tolerance for recurrence.
Suspension: A more severe action, often without pay, to underscore the gravity.
Termination: For gross misconduct, especially for a new employee, this is a strong possibility, particularly if there's no reasonable explanation or remorse.
Document Everything: Ensure detailed notes are taken during the meeting, including the employee's responses, and that all disciplinary actions are formally documented and signed (by you, HR, and the employee acknowledging receipt, if not agreement).
Disciplinary Action Considerations:
Given this is a new employee and the act was public, visible, and unprofessional, a formal written warning is probably the minimum. However, depending on the severity (e.g., highly visible, no attempt at privacy), the lack of a compelling explanation, and the company's stance on professional conduct, suspension or even termination for gross misconduct are very real possibilities.
Factors leaning towards termination: No remorse, a blatant and highly public act, previous warnings for similar conduct (though unlikely for a new employee).
Factors leaning towards a strong warning/suspension: Immediate remorse, a credible (though not excusable) explanation (e.g., sudden severe medical issue), but still a highly unprofessional act.
It's crucial that the message is clear: this behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
We received a complaint from a neighboring office - they spotted someone urinating directly in front of their building, in the parking lot.
They gave a description which matched our new employee, and our cameras confirmed this person exited our building just before the time of the offense.
We do have indoor toilet facilities, but it's possible they were both in use at that time.
Need advice on how to approach this. What level of disciplinary action should be taken?
*Edited to remove some information which might make the situation identifiable.
Jobadvisor
This is a delicate but serious situation that needs to be handled both firmly and discreetly. Public urination is not only a health and safety concern but also a matter of company reputation and professionalism.
Here's a structured approach you could take:
1. Gather All Facts (and confirm the severity):
Review Camera Footage Thoroughly: Confirm it's definitively the employee and that the act was deliberate. Was it truly in the open, or was there some attempt at concealment (which still wouldn't excuse it, but might factor into the disciplinary discussion)?
Check Toilet Availability: You mentioned they might have been in use. If there was genuinely an emergency and all facilities were blocked, that's still not an excuse for public urination, but it adds a layer to understanding the employee's state. However, it's highly unlikely all facilities were unusable for an extended period.
Neighbor's Complaint: Keep the details of the neighbor's complaint on file.
2. Prepare for the Meeting:
Involve HR: This is crucial. HR should be present during the discussion to ensure compliance with company policy, labor laws, and to document everything properly.
Consult Company Policy: What does your employee handbook say about workplace conduct, public indecency, or actions that damage the company's reputation? This will guide your disciplinary action.
Decide on Initial Disciplinary Action (Tentative): Based on your policy, determine what the initial disciplinary action might be. For a first offense of this nature, especially from a new employee, it could range from a formal written warning up to suspension or even termination, depending on the severity of the act and company culture/policy. Public urination in front of an office is often considered gross misconduct.
3. The Meeting with the Employee:
Private and Professional Setting: Conduct the meeting in a private office with HR present.
State the Purpose Clearly: "We need to discuss an incident that occurred [date/time] in the parking lot outside our building."
Present the Evidence (Objectively): "We received a complaint from our neighbors, and our security footage confirms that you were observed urinating in the parking lot in front of their building at approximately [time]." Avoid accusatory language initially. Stick to the facts.
Allow for Explanation: "Can you explain what happened?" This is important. While it's unlikely there's a justification, there might be an explanation for their actions (e.g., medical issue, extreme emergency, misunderstanding of location/visibility). Listen carefully without interruption.
Address Any Excuses/Explanations:
"Toilets were busy/unavailable": Reiterate that this is never an excuse for public urination. Emphasize the availability of multiple facilities and the expectation of professionalism.
Medical Emergency: If they claim a medical emergency, you might need to explore this further, potentially requiring doctor's notes, etc., as per HR policy. This might mitigate some disciplinary action but likely wouldn't eliminate it entirely, as other options (like finding a more private spot, or returning inside) should have been considered.
Intoxication/Substance Use: If this is implied, it opens up a different set of HR protocols, potentially involving drug/alcohol policies.
Explain the Impact: Clearly communicate the seriousness of the action:
Violation of company policy/professional conduct.
Damage to company reputation with neighbors and potentially clients.
Hygiene/health hazard.
Potential legal implications (public indecency laws).
Inform of Disciplinary Action: State the disciplinary action being taken, referencing company policy. Explain the consequences of any future similar incidents. This could be:
Formal Written Warning: Emphasizing the seriousness and zero tolerance for recurrence.
Suspension: A more severe action, often without pay, to underscore the gravity.
Termination: For gross misconduct, especially for a new employee, this is a strong possibility, particularly if there's no reasonable explanation or remorse.
Document Everything: Ensure detailed notes are taken during the meeting, including the employee's responses, and that all disciplinary actions are formally documented and signed (by you, HR, and the employee acknowledging receipt, if not agreement).
Disciplinary Action Considerations:
Given this is a new employee and the act was public, visible, and unprofessional, a formal written warning is probably the minimum. However, depending on the severity (e.g., highly visible, no attempt at privacy), the lack of a compelling explanation, and the company's stance on professional conduct, suspension or even termination for gross misconduct are very real possibilities.
Factors leaning towards termination: No remorse, a blatant and highly public act, previous warnings for similar conduct (though unlikely for a new employee).
Factors leaning towards a strong warning/suspension: Immediate remorse, a credible (though not excusable) explanation (e.g., sudden severe medical issue), but still a highly unprofessional act.
It's crucial that the message is clear: this behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
The right way to answer the "Why do you want to work here?" question
Hi folks,
I started a series of posts about how to answer specific interview questions. Today is another classic “HR” question: “Why do you want to work here?”
It looks like a simple question, and you’ve heard it a million times. Yet in my experience most candidates fail at answering it correctly. Here’s what they do wrong: they focus on their desires.
(“I want a role in X… I want to do Y… so I applied”.)
I know it seems like talking about what you want is the whole point, but it isn’t. It’s really about the company. The interviewer is really trying to figure out:
(i) If you’ve done your research on the company.
(ii) If you understand their needs.
This is especially true in today’s market, where recruiters are receiving hundreds of “auto-applications”. I’ve said this before: it’s ok to play the numbers when sending your resume, but you should always do your due diligence before interviews ;-)
The good news though, is that interviewers don’t need a cute story about how you found their job posting or a deep and meaningful life mission. As long as you cover these (i) and (ii), you should be good to go, but here’s the framework I use:
(I) Show that you’ve done your homework.
Literally start your answer with “I did some research on you…”.
Mention anything unique and interesting about their product, business model, positioning, recent news, etc…
(II) List their challenges (“You must be struggling with/focusing on X, Y and Z”)
Show that you understand their current business situation (are they expanding? Focusing on efficiency? Migrating technology?).
Link the context of the challenge to the role you’re interviewing for, and the key 2/3 requirements for the position.
(III) I’ve got expertise in X, Y and Z.
Explain that you applied because you fit these 2/3 requirements. Give a very brief outline of why you think so.
Put in an even simpler form: “I’ve done my research, I know what you need. I am it”.
This question will usually be asked in the beginning of the interview, so by answering it this way you’re creating a nice transition into talking about your skills in more detail.
Here’s an example of how I would answer “Why do you want to work here?” question. Let’s say that it’s for a DevOps role at a SaaS business which recently secured funding.
“Well, I did some research on your company and saw you’re one of the first products in the ephemeral environment automation space. I like how you built the CLI and SaaS on one control plane, which keeps the open-core model honest. It looks like investors agree, since you just raised your Series A with Accel Capital.
I’ve also read that you’ve had a 200% YoY increase in users, and I’m assuming you’re scaling the department to handle the increase in concurrent environments and infrastructure costs. I know it’s a hard challenge to go from a great proof of concept to scaling an entire platform, so you must be dealing with environment lifecycle management, stateful service replication at scale, and policy-driven cost governance.
This fits the requirements for the DevOps role you posted, because the job description seemed to focus on automation for multi-tenant infrastructure, deployment velocity, and reliability standards.
I’ve actually dealt with the same “growth pains” at Company A. We hit product-market fit and 10× our user base within a year. At my last company, we hit a similar scaling point when our user base grew from a few thousand to tens of thousands, and our CI pipelines began spinning up too many parallel test environments. I worked on building lightweight environment templates and automated cleanup workflows, which cut build times and kept infrastructure costs predictable as usage grew.
I think I can solve similar problems for you too, which is why I’m here.”
I hope it helps! Emmanuel
Jobadvisor
This is an excellent breakdown of how to approach the "Why do you want to work here?" question! You've hit on all the key points that differentiate a strong, thoughtful answer from a generic one. The framework is clear, actionable, and the example you provided for the DevOps role perfectly illustrates how to apply it.
Many candidates indeed make the mistake of making it all about themselves, and your advice to pivot to the company's needs and how you can meet them is spot-on. Interviewers are looking for a genuine connection between the candidate and the company, not just someone who wants any job.
My boss stole my work and i let him get roasted for it
so this happened a few months ago. i work in product for a mid sized tech company, nothing fancy. i was leading a small internal project that basically fixed a mess that’d been costing us $$ every month. spent weeks working late, cleaning up data, building reports, the whole deal.
the day before the all-hands, my manager (let’s call him steve) suddenly asks me to “send over a quick summary” of what i did. cool, i think he’s just reviewing. turns out dude straight up presented my entire deck at the meeting.... same slides, same words, didn’t even change the file name.
the kicker? he said “my team helped a bit.” bro. helped a bit? i am the team.
i didn’t say anything right then, but a few weeks later our VP asked me for some follow up numbers. steve was on vacation, so i sent her the updated dashboard and casually mentioned “oh yeah, here’s the model i built from that analysis i shared earlier.” she goes “wait, you built that?”
long story short, VP wasn’t thrilled. next review cycle, guess who didn’t get credit for “strategic contributions”? not me, not this time.
what ive learnt is that document everything, keep receipts, and let management (like steve) hang themselves with their own powerpoint
Jobadvisor
Wow, that's an incredibly frustrating situation, but it sounds like you handled it with a masterful, long-game approach! It's satisfying to hear that your hard work and integrity ultimately shone through.
It's a tough lesson to learn, but you're absolutely right about documenting everything and keeping receipts. In many professional environments, protecting your contributions is sadly a necessary skill.