Business Owner Sparks Furor After Firing Employees for Affairs — “I’d Do It Again in a Heartbeat”

Natalie Dawson, co-founder and president of US firm Cardone Ventures (which supports entrepreneurs and business owners with growth and financial strategy), has ignited a heated debate online after revealing she dismissed two employees immediately upon discovering they had been cheating on their romantic partners. The revelation came on the podcast Diary of a CEO, hosted by British entrepreneur Steve Bartlett.

During the episode, Dawson explained:

“One of the things I’ve gotten so much criticism about online was when I publicly shared a TikTok about firing somebody because I found out she was cheating on her significant other and the other person also had a significant other… As soon as I found out about it, I terminated both of them immediately.”

She insisted that while neither partner worked for the company, the behaviour couldn’t be tolerated in her organisation’s culture: “If they are going to cheat on the person they are supposed to spend the rest of their life with, do you think they are cheating on their work? That person is a liability to the environment.”

The Debate: Personal Life vs Professional Standards

Host Steve Bartlett challenged her stance, raising the idea that what an employee does in their personal life might be “none of [the employer’s] business.” Dawson pushed back strongly, noting: “It absolutely is my business if someone has a problem in their personal life — because that same person then shows up to work.” She added that while the incident “happened around work”, she wouldn’t even wait for a crossover: “If I found out my employee was cheating on their partner, I would fire the person immediately.”

Natalie Dawson, co-founder and president of Cardone Ventures, revealed she fired two employees after finding out they had been cheating on their romantic partners.The Diary Of A CEO and Natalie Dawson

Impact & Public Reaction

Since the podcast clip went viral (over 1.7 million views on social media), public reaction has been divided. Some viewers called Dawson’s approach “utterly controlling” and a violation of privacy:

“What people do outside of hours of work is no concern to companies…”
Others, however, defended her decision, linking personal integrity directly to workplace performance:
“Workplace affairs bring unnecessary tension… Taking part in one speaks volumes about a person’s integrity.”
“People that cheat in their personal life will also cheat in their business life. 

   

Dawson’s Follow-Up Statement

In a LinkedIn post, Dawson framed the firings not as punishment but as a business safeguarding move. She wrote:

“As leaders, it’s our responsibility to create an environment where people can grow in the right direction. That means holding the line on integrity, even when it’s uncomfortable. If someone is disingenuous in one area, that behaviour doesn’t magically stop when they walk into the office.”
“The culture you build depends on what you allow. So the real question is: what are you tolerating in your environment?”

Why This Matters

This clash raises broader questions about the boundaries between personal and professional ethics in the workplace. On one hand, companies champion values such as honesty, loyalty and trust. On the other, employees and labour-rights advocates argue that private-life conduct should remain private — unless it impacts the employer directly. The case also illustrates how public scrutiny and social-media visibility magnify such decisions.

What to Watch

• Will Dawson’s firm face legal or reputational scrutiny over her firings being tied to personal conduct?

• Will other companies adopt similar “character-based” policies regarding off-duty behaviour?

• How will the broader business community respond to the idea that personal life integrity is a criterion for employment?