Firing Someone

6/9/14…Today, I found out our company is considering firing someone for willfully bypassing a guard on a machine and hurting themselves. The injury is a recordable but easily could have resulted in a lost time work accident. This is tearing me up inside for a number of reasons. Not long ago, another employee was fired due to cheating on a Pay for Skills re-examination. The person, who was fired, in fact, was a good employee, and her personality was always cheerful. I loved being around her. She always showed up for work and did anything asked of her. I believe part of her cheating on this exam was due to her education level. But the problem is I never, as a Christian leader, took it upon myself to insert myself in this process to understand the nuances of why we felt it necessary to fire her instead of offering forgiveness with a lesser consequence. I am supposed to stand up for those who need justice. In this case, I did not bother. Yes, this person was in another department and was not my direct responsibility, but as a Christian leader, I failed to stand up for another person who may have needed justice. I turned a blind eye. I promised myself after this occasion, that I would not repeat my sin of apathy. I am thankful the Spirit within me convicted me of this sin.

One year later, I face the same issue. This time, due to the Spirit sensitizing me to my previous sin, I inserted myself in the process. I paraphrased the story below of the apostle John observing Jesus:

John 8:11 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

In the situation our company is facing, we can learn from this story. Our employee admits she knew the rule of not bypassing a guard, and yet she did it and got hurt. What is troubling is she is a member of our safety committee. She, as part of the safety committee, also came up with our cardinal rules of safety which is a short list of a be all end all key safety rules all of us live by, and understand we can be fired for just cause without any warnings if not followed. As it relates to the story above, our employee was caught in the act and is now standing before members of our leadership team.

There are stones in our leader’s hands. We are ready to throw them (fire her) and according to the law (company policy), we are justified. And yet, let those of us as leaders who are without failings cast the first stone. In this circumstance, where is the justice to the employee? If God forgives us leaders of our failings, then are we not expected to forgive others in their shortcomings?

However, I will acknowledge sin results in consequences. Jesus does not tell the woman to go and sin some more. In our case, a disciplinary write-up or suspension are just given the nature of the act. After all, if we spare this person and they commit the same act in the future, then termination will be a consequence. This employee not only affects their own safety, but they affect the safety of their co-workers which indirectly impacts their families.

I believe the caveat in this is remorse. Although scripture does not say the woman is remorseful for her actions, I can’t help but think she was. Jesus talks many times regarding when we humble ourselves, forgiveness is offered. I remember early in my career, I was promoted to a Printing Department Manager position. One time, when walking the floor, I was caught not wearing earplugs by a know-it-all employee named Mike. Have you ever been around know-it-alls? When you mess up, and they point it out, you really don’t want to admit you were wrong because it makes you mad. Well, I got mad, and walked away. However, a few minutes later, after calming down, I realized how wrong I was. I went back out on the floor, went up to Mike, and asked him to forgive me for not setting an example of a safety rule in my own department. Because I offered remorse to him and humbled myself, he forgave me and became one of my biggest advocates in my new management role.

So I think in our case, if our employee is remorseful for her actions, then we should not cast stones at her. We should also realize when we forgive others; they sometimes become our biggest advocates. In this case, our employee could turn around and become one of our most vocal advocates in creating a safe environment. Indeed, I imagine the woman whose life was spared and forgiven by Jesus, left the temple and became one of Jesus’ biggest advocates in her circle of influence.

One last thought on this matter. There was another employee involved in this accident. She started the machine and did not see this person bypassing the guard. She is unfairly getting blamed by other employees for her role in this. I would hope we as leaders are justified as part of the consequences, to ask the employee who got hurt, to ask her fellow co-worker for forgiveness for putting her in this position. If our employee feels she cannot do this, then who are we as leaders to forgive her if she is unable to ask forgiveness from her co-worker.

What a day.