US CEO reveals she fired 2 employees for cheating on their partners: ‘I can’t have this in my environment’

“It wasn’t even a split-second decision,” Dawson added. “I can’t have this in my environment, especially somebody close around me. People trust me and should trust any leader to help them make their success easy.”

Host Steven Bartlett pushed back, questioning why an employee’s private life should influence their employment. Dawson stood her ground, saying that cheating on a partner reveals a deeper character flaw. “If they’re going to cheat on the person they’re supposed to spend the rest of their life with, do you think that they’re cheating on their work? That person is a liability to the environment.”

For her, the line between personal and professional ethics doesn’t exist. “If somebody has a problem in their personal life, they’re the same person that shows up to work,” she said.

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Dawson later doubled down on LinkedIn, writing that letting people go is sometimes about safeguarding the culture, not punishing individuals. “Firing is not about punishment. It’s about protection,” she wrote. She argued that leaders must “hold the line on integrity,” because “character is consistent,” and tolerating dishonesty in any area lowers the bar for everyone else.

Her stance quickly set off an online argument. Some social media users backed her, saying personal turmoil almost always spills into professional life.

An individual commented, “After working with many ceos, what’s happening at home ABSOLUTELY shows up at work.”

Another user wrote, “I understand where she’s coming from. Integrity matters, and honesty is essential. The energy it takes to sneak or cheat often drains from the energy needed to bring excellence and authenticity to one’s work. I’m not sure I’d go as far as firing them, but I would question their capacity to bring all of themselves to the work.”

A third person commented, “At the end of the day, her company her rules. She gets to decide what values she wants to upkeep within her premises, under her watch. A leader with principle.”

A fourth individual commented, “I disagree and think bosses should stay out of their employees business because that’s a slippery slope to using personal life things to justify firing. For example, she could say I fired someone for living with someone they aren’t married to because that shows lack of commitment so they probably aren’t committed to the business or they had an unplanned pregnancy, that means they are irresponsible.”

A fifth person quipped, “Half of the companies would be left with no workers if every CEO would do this.”