Many employees and supervisors tend to react to such statements with denial, or even to minimize their importance in order to deal with the anxiety associated with what they could actually mean. Some workers may simply not believe that the employee in question would really do anything violent. Research shows that violent employees previously made such statments to someone in the company before they acted out. Acting promptly is always the prudent thing to do, even if an embarrassment later follows, because the employee was not serious. Even a joke about a violent threat is taken seriously during a luggage check by airport personnel.
Experts advise other work places to follow suit and investigate.
Follow NYU policy. At the very least, consult with both Personnel Services and the FSAP without delay, in order to decide on a proper course of action, based upon the circumstances. This publication is being shared with you by the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program and is a general guide on using FSAP services. The FrontLine Supervisor is not in any way related to the Frontline Leadership Program for supervisors that is presented by the Human Resources Division each year. That program is an excellent training tool for all supervisors and one that the FSAP strongly recommends.