Employee Says They Were Threatened With a Blade at Work and HR Did Nothing

An Illinois warehouse worker said they were threatened with a blade by a coworker, but the part that left them feeling trapped was what happened afterward: HR allegedly did nothing, and the coworker stayed on the schedule.

The worker shared the situation in a post on r/AskHR, saying the incident had happened about a month and a half earlier. According to the worker, the threat happened during a shift after tension built between them and a coworker they later referred to as “Jill” while explaining the situation in more detail.

The worker said they were doing loops through the warehouse and trying to adjust their pace so Jill could keep up with incoming work. At one point, another coworker told them Jill was backed up, so the worker said they slowed down for a couple of loops to avoid burying her in more work.

But later, the worker said they overheard Jill talking about them. They approached her and asked why she would not just give direct criticism instead of talking behind their back. According to the worker, Jill told them they needed to go faster.

The worker said they accepted that and picked up the pace. But another issue came up when warehouse robots blocked their path. One robot was broken down, and two others were moving materials, leaving the worker stuck. Instead of waiting, the worker said they moved the broken-down robot so they could keep going.

Later, they said they overheard Jill talking again and approached her a second time. That is when the exchange got more heated. The worker asked why she could not tell them directly what they were still doing wrong. Jill reportedly told them they should stop touching the robots because it was not their job.

The worker said they tried to explain that the broken robot had blocked the path, and they thought moving it was the practical thing to do. But Jill did not agree. The worker pushed back, asking whether it made more sense to wait around for someone else to fix the issue or move the robot quickly and keep working.

According to the worker, Jill then pulled out a blade, pointed it at them, and told them to get away from her.

The worker said they responded angrily, telling her that if her answer was to pull a blade on them, then “fuck you,” before walking away and ignoring anything else she said.

The worker reported the incident to HR the next day. They said there were multiple witnesses and video evidence. But weeks later, they claimed nothing meaningful had happened. Jill was still working there, still being scheduled regularly, and the worker was spending 60 hours a week at the warehouse while trying to watch out for her.

That part was wearing them down. The worker said they were afraid when Jill came by and described the constant vigilance as exhausting. They had thought about calling corporate, but worried that even an anonymous report would be obvious. If management figured out they were the one who escalated it, they feared the company might find a reason to fire them.

Leaving the job did not feel realistic either. The worker said taking another job would likely mean losing at least two dollars an hour and a major drop in hours. They felt stuck between staying somewhere they did not feel safe and leaving for work that would not pay enough.

That is what made the post more than a simple HR complaint. The worker was not asking whether the company had been rude or slow. They were asking what they were supposed to do when a coworker allegedly pulled a blade, HR did not appear to remove her, and quitting could create a serious financial problem.

The worker also said this was not the first time Jill had allegedly threatened employees. In their view, the company already knew she was a problem and kept her anyway.

Commenters Told the Worker HR Was Not a Substitute for Police

Commenters were direct with the worker: if someone threatens you with a weapon at work, HR should not be the only place the incident is reported.

Several people told the worker to contact police, even though the incident had happened weeks earlier. The worker said they had been told it was “too little too late” because they did not report it the same day, but commenters pushed back on that. They said a delayed report was still better than no report, especially if there were witnesses and video.

Others urged the worker to think in terms of documentation. They had already reported the incident to HR. Commenters said the next steps should include a police report, a copy of any written HR complaint, names of witnesses, and anything showing the company knew about the threat.

Some commenters also suggested looking into a restraining order. The logic was practical: if a court order existed, the workplace would have to deal with the reality of scheduling both employees. The company could not simply pretend the two could keep working around each other without considering whether the order was being violated.

Several people were frustrated that the worker seemed to expect HR to act like law enforcement. Commenters pointed out that company property is not separate from the law. If a crime happens at work, it can still be reported to police. HR may handle discipline, but HR cannot replace a police report.

There was some skepticism in the comments too. A few people questioned whether the worker had left out details, especially because they found it hard to believe a company would do nothing if an employee pulled a blade. The worker responded with a fuller version of the incident, including the argument over the warehouse robots and the moment Jill allegedly pointed the blade at them.

That extra detail made the situation messier, but it did not change the main issue for most commenters. Even if the worker had argued or used harsh language, commenters said pulling a blade changed the stakes.

Other commenters focused on the worker’s fear of retaliation. They understood why the worker did not want to call corporate if they believed management would know it was them. But they also warned that staying quiet could leave them with no proof if things got worse. A formal record could matter later if the coworker threatened someone else, if the worker was retaliated against, or if the company claimed it had never been properly notified.

The worker was clearly discouraged. They said they had wanted advice before making a move because they did not feel confident about what to do. One commenter’s blunt response, saying the company may value the coworker’s productivity more than the worker’s safety, seemed to hit hard. The worker admitted that answer stung, but also said it might be true.

The post did not end with Jill being fired, police making an arrest, or HR changing course. It ended with the worker still facing the same problem: they needed the paycheck, but they did not feel safe around the coworker.

That is the part that makes workplace safety problems so hard. Advice like “just quit” may be emotionally satisfying, but it does not always match real life. Rent, bills, hours, and pay all matter. A worker can know a situation is dangerous and still feel financially boxed in.

Commenters did not give the worker an easy answer. They told them to make the police report, document everything, consider court options, escalate beyond local HR if necessary, and keep looking for a way out if the company truly would not protect them.

The clearest message was that a blade threat at work should not be handled like a normal personality conflict. It needed a record outside the company.

Because if the coworker was still there, still being scheduled, and had allegedly threatened people before, the worker needed more than hope that HR would eventually do the right thing. They needed documentation that showed exactly what had happened, when the company was told, and what the company chose to do next.