Blackmail!!! What would you do in this situation.....?

Question

OK this could be a book I'm sure, but I will try and give the shorter version.

I work for a big company, I dont want to say which one but I will let you know it is a fortune 20 company. I work in sales. I did something at work that may or may not get me fired if anyone found out. Someone found out. He said he wouldnt tell anyone. Then a week ago we were talking about who is going to sell more, and he said something like...." Well if you out sell me then I would just tell what you did and get you fired"

Now my company also has a strict no drug policy, and I know for a fact that this same guy that has dirt on me smoke weed ON HIS LUNCH BREAKS! and comes back to work. I have never hit him with..." well if you told then I would have them drug test you" but I was thinking about it.

Questions- If I told a higer up about this guy doing drugs, do you think they would drug test him and fire him? Should I mention to him that I would say something if he did?
What would you do?

Answer 1

I would remind him that I know about his drug use & would not hesitate to divulge this info if he so much thinks about selling me out again. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Answer 2

One thing you need to take into consideration is your company's drug usage & testing policies. In many states, unless explicitly stated in their policy, it is illegal to singularly test any one employee, even if there is a report of drug usage, unless "random" testing is already a policy & there is a signed contract on file with HR from the employee in question.

Me, myself, I'd take it up with management; but then I have the good fortune of being upper level management & hence having the big boss' ear, so that may not be the best idea for you. If you're close to your boss, then go for it, if not, then I'd fight fire with fire. Just make it very clear to this jerk that you're not some punk he can push around & that if he pushs much more you're going to shut him down.

You're stuck in a tough situation as there's an equally likely chance of things turning out for good or bad. This could all just blow over without you having to do anything, or you could talk to the guy & things escalate, or you talk to the boss & you both get fired. In any case, you need to listen to your heart, as well as your head. You need to decide what is going to weigh the least on your conscience, is it worth it to sink to his level, or would you feel better taking the higher ground. The fact that you posted here asking this tells me that that is already something you're struggling with. People here can offer advise & insight, but the decision is yours to make alone, because you're the one that's going to have to live with it, one way or the other.

Answer 3

you said hes smoking, but you didn't say what he has on you?? if you are the one doing drugs better hope your system is clean....either way you can't allow yourself to be victimized by blackmail and I would just tell this dude that you have your share of dirt on him as well if he threatens again, however the most that will be accomplished is that you both end up fired. I work for a global corporation that does drug testing but they won't do it unless management witnesses something because of the petty arguments that get blown out of proportion with employees.

Answer 4

Don't do anything about this until it comes up again, because it may just be nothing. However, if this other person seems to think he can blackmail you, and uses this trump card on you again, you should take him aside and tell him that you both have dirt on each other, and that the threat is not appropriate for the work environment.

Bottom line, make sure you BOTH understand that doing things to ruin each others' livelihoods and futures is not cool. And try to clean up your act and not do things again that violate the company rules.

Answer 5

if you say anything to him, he will have time to clean up his act......
if it were me, I personally would let him outsell me by just a little bit, AND go rat on him....... then if he squeals on you, it would look like he's just trying to take someone down with him. You said it may or may not get you fired....... but smoking weed on lunch most likely WOULD get him fired.
Can they prove whatever you did? It might be his word against yours, if so, I would try and get him fired. Oh, and don't do whatever you did again. You could also move on to another company while your reputation is still good and avoid that blackmail scene altogether.

Answer 6

Tough one. The answer depends on many things, like just how much you like your job. I'd toss the pot right into his face. This way, he knows that you play "fair." He's also going to realize that you can't be pushed around.
If he's going to rat on you, then he might as well get fired too. It'll be hard for him to get a new job with a drug record.
Or, you could skip your boss and just call the cops anonymously. That would screw up his day.

Answer 7

Don't tell him about it... just send an anonymous letter to your boss or some one in charge telling them to drug test him.
If you knows you are the one that did this, he will probably try to get back at you, so just don't let him find out it was you.
Just make sure he's not smoking up with the VPs lol
.. oh and act surprised when he is fired lol

Answer 8

You are in a tough spot. He definitely would sell you out to save himself and you don't need this jerk holding something over you. I think I would try and make an anonymous call to his boss and let him know about the drugs. You don't need this coming back on you so find someone else to get this jerk fired and out of your hair.

Answer 9

I would do Quid Pro Quo. That means if you got me I got you too. Basically just tell him in no uncertain terms, that you both would compete and sell as much as each can and if he tried to blackmail you and get you fired, then guess what you have something on him too and if you get fired you are going to make sure that he gets fired too.
He will go out of his way to protect your back and you in turn will protect him.

Answer 10

I would just tell him, look - you got something on me which may or may not be able to be proved. I got something on you that can be proved without a doubt. So lets just drop all this bull **** and get back to work.