Are Companies Liable for An Employee's Suicide?
If you believe Graham Gentles and his mother, a "Walk of Shame" is what led to the suicide of Mr. Gentles. He was fired, however not charged with any crime, in July of 2014. Afterwards, he committed suicide.
Target denies this allegation but stories have been popping up on the Internet, confirming that this is one of Target's practices. The "Walk of Shame" is basically being handcuffed and paraded around the store after being fired or caught breaking the law such as shoplifting.
Mr. Gentles, according to a lawsuit, was put through this demeaning practice and some time after that committed suicide, even though he was never charged with a crime. His mother claims that her son had Aspergers and that his firing was the result of an argument or incident with another employee. This syndrome can make situations socially awkward for those affected with it.
In this situation, it can be very difficult to lay blame, especially when it comes to suicide. There are so many things that come to play, especially when there is a diagnosis like aspergers to consider. However, it will be interesting to see how things play out in the future. If Target can be found to have liability, then it could set a precedent for other companies and their tactics. If the Walk of Shame is found to be apart of Target's policy officially or not, it is a disgrace, nonetheless.
Target denies this allegation but stories have been popping up on the Internet, confirming that this is one of Target's practices. The "Walk of Shame" is basically being handcuffed and paraded around the store after being fired or caught breaking the law such as shoplifting.
Mr. Gentles, according to a lawsuit, was put through this demeaning practice and some time after that committed suicide, even though he was never charged with a crime. His mother claims that her son had Aspergers and that his firing was the result of an argument or incident with another employee. This syndrome can make situations socially awkward for those affected with it.
In this situation, it can be very difficult to lay blame, especially when it comes to suicide. There are so many things that come to play, especially when there is a diagnosis like aspergers to consider. However, it will be interesting to see how things play out in the future. If Target can be found to have liability, then it could set a precedent for other companies and their tactics. If the Walk of Shame is found to be apart of Target's policy officially or not, it is a disgrace, nonetheless.
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