Violent Managing Director

[Bantam_21]

Hi everyone,

I have been approached by several members of my staff to try and obtain further info regarding a situation/incident in the workplace.

Earlier this week our MD responded badly to some news regarding a client by shouting and swearing and then launching an object across his office with approx 2 feet of another member of staff smashing a picture on the wall and ejecting glass everywhere. Thankfully nobody was hurt, the magnitude could have been much greater....the person could've unknowingly moved into the path of the object of been hit by glass. This is not the first instance of this nature but I believe this is the only time it has been formally recorded, I have ensured it has become formal, previous unrecorded incidents involve punching walls resulting in surgery, smashed windows etc. It is also usual to shout, scream and swear at the workforce en masse so to speak.

our written disciplinary procedure states that dangerous behavious, fighting of physical assault (differentiation is not given for verbal or physical assult) is deemed gross misconduct. The disciplinary process is now underway, however the workforce feel this will be swept away and buried with something bigger on the basis the chairman doesn't want to lose his MD. Is this something at the discretion of the board or in this case chairman? Clearly a director is firstly an employee and shuld be bound by the same procedures and guidelines of the rest of us.

do any employees have any path of recourse if this was swept away. The general mood is the post of MD has ceased to hold respect, which has been gradual for a god few years but brought to a head by this recent display of violence in close proximity to a female member of staff and everyone else in the office. People feel intimidated and scared, female staff particlarly. Should the Police be notified, should companies house be noified is this respectable conduct? The managing director is generally the person you go to to resolve issues like this not be at the root of them.

Any views or experiences welcome. I have sought legal guidance but it is so very expensive and opinion vary wildly fromone establishment to another, I am looking only for views, experinces and opinions without engaging further legal fees.

many thanks in advance.

[rtbm]

Re: Violent Managing Director

To me, its very clear that this type of behaviour cannot occur in an environment where other people work - it creates a physically intimidating environment, where people are potentially in fear of their safety. It appears this person has issues with their behaviour and needs help.

Also, violence, shouting, swearing? Totally unproductive for the workplace. These incidents shouldn't have been brushed aside until now, either, in my opinion. When it happens the first time, it needs to be dealt with then and not later - what if someone really had been hurt during this time?

This actually makes, in my opinion, disregarding any laws for the time being, the company reputable for allowing this type of behaviour to happen. That's not a good thing and I'm not sure its a place I'd like to work. I'm glad its formal now, since this person needs help, but at the same time, its an issue which needs to be dealt with sensitively. Sometimes situations like this aren't as clear cut as they first appear, which is why a sympathetic approach sometimes unlocks other issues which people might not have been aware of.