A boss ignited a fierce discussion by stating he fired two employees without hesitation after discovering that his girlfriend was cheating on him.
Natalie Dawson, the co-founder and president of Cardone Ventures, a U.S. business management firm, helps entrepreneurs achieve their financial goals.
Recently, she appeared on a podcast called Diary of a CEO, hosted by British entrepreneur Steve Bartlett.
In portions of this episode that have gone viral, Dawson, 32, shared that she decided to terminate two employees after learning they were involved in an affair, insisting she would do it again without a second thought.
“I received backlash online after saying on TikTok that I was going to fire someone because she was cheating on her boyfriend, who also had a boyfriend,” Dawson explained.
“The moment I found out, I fired them both.”
Despite acknowledging that neither partner worked at her company, Dawson mentioned that she acted immediately upon learning about the affair, emphasizing that such behavior wouldn’t be tolerated in her workplace.
Her decision surprised Bartlett, who suggested that some people might feel that personal lives of employees shouldn’t concern her.
Though she didn’t delve deeply into the specifics of what happened, she did say it “occurred around work.”
However, she firmly stated that if an employee was discovered cheating, even if it wasn’t directly related to work, “that person would be fired immediately.”
“If they’ll cheat on the partner they’re meant to be with forever, how can you trust them not to cheat at work? They’re a liability,” she asserted.
Bartlett countered, highlighting that personal behaviors can often differ from professional conduct.
“People engage in all sorts of things in their personal lives; that’s not my responsibility,” he remarked.
Dawson quickly countered, saying that if someone has personal issues, it directly impacts their workplace because they bring that to the job.
Still, Bartlett remained unconvinced, insisting he wasn’t interested in “managing” the private lives of employees and that unless issues arose at work, they were not his concern.
Albeit she believes there’s no separation between personal conduct and behavior at work, asserting that it “infiltrates our environment.”
A clip of their exchange has since gained massive attention online, reaching over 1.7 million views and eliciting numerous comments.
This topic seems to divide opinions, with reactions split between those backing Dawson’s stance and others siding with Bartlett’s approach.
One commenter deemed Dawson’s actions “controlling,” arguing that it was inappropriate for companies to dictate personal lives.
“What people do outside work hours should be irrelevant to corporations. They don’t have authority over our lives beyond the working day,” another contributor noted, while a third agreed, stating, “It shouldn’t concern her.”
Some even raised questions regarding the legality of firing for such reasons.
Conversely, many praised Dawson’s swift actions, expressing a desire to work for her company instead.
“Workplace incidents create tension and chaos when they arise; engaging in them reflects poorly on one’s integrity,” one commenter remarked.
Another added, “Cheaters in personal life will also cheat professionally.” A different individual noted disbelief over the controversy surrounding the firings, stating, “I don’t want individuals lacking honesty and integrity in my company.”
Following the video’s virality, Dawson conducted an interview on LinkedIn, stating the firings were intended to safeguard the company rather than punish anyone.
“As leaders, we must foster an environment conducive to growth, which involves maintaining integrity, even when it’s uncomfortable,” she said.
“If someone is deceitful in their personal life, that behavior won’t magically vanish at the office.
“Character remains consistent; tolerating dishonesty in one area sets a new standard for others in the workplace.”
Dawson remarked that while layoffs can be seen as a taboo subject, she believes they shouldn’t be.
“The culture you cultivate is determined by what you permit, so the question really is: what do you allow in your environment?” she concluded.
