A 46-year-old bank manager took his own life, leaving his family struggling to understand what drove him to take such drastic measures.
Greg Beckett of Bridgeport, New Jersey, was working at Wells Fargo’s headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware when he jumped from the boardroom of the 14th floor office in January of this year.
The fact that he did not leave a suicide note or show any signs of grief in the days, weeks and months before his death only compounded the pain for the friends, family and colleagues he left behind.
Greg had been responsible for Wells Fargo’s internal controls, aimed at protecting the bank from risk, but his workload had steadily increased, leading to longer hours and more stress.
His work seemed to become all-intensive, with long days and meetings that lasted until 11 p.m.
Greg Beckett, 46, is pictured with his girlfriend Giovanna Muraca
Greg jumped from the 14th floor of Wells Fargo’s headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, but left no suicide note or noticeable signs of distress
On the night of his death, Greg abruptly stopped responding to texts and calls from his loved ones.
His sudden death made little sense to his loved ones as his life outside of work was seemingly going well
When his family became concerned, his brother and sister-in-law, thinking he might have been involved in a car accident, went to his office looking for his car, only to find the parking lot blocked by police.
His sudden death made little sense to his loved ones as his life outside of work was seemingly going well.
He had recently moved in with girlfriend Giovanna Muraca and her daughters.
A devoted Philadelphia Eagles fan, the team was performing well and Greg had been to several games, tailgating with friends before games.
He loved his dog and did everything he could to make people laugh, like dressing up as Barney for the reports of his niece’s second birthday party WJ.
Greg did everything he could to make people laugh, like dressing up as Barney for his niece’s second birthday party. One of his nieces is pictured here
Just before his death, Greg had spent his first Christmas with his girlfriend’s family
He was also known for discussing the latest Real Housewives drama with his friends’ wives and helping his parents with household chores every week.
But nothing in his personal life belied the trauma he seemed to be suffering.
A Wells Fargo spokeswoman expressed sadness over the loss of their colleague in a statement, noting the difficulty of determining the reasons behind such tragedies.
‘We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague. Greg was a valued member of our team. As we all know, it is virtually impossible to identify a reason when a tragedy like this occurs. “There is nothing more important to all of us at Wells Fargo than the well-being of our colleagues,” the statement said.
After his death, a manager in another department noticed how Greg had been working on several stressful projects for extended periods of time.
“If we don’t find healthy ways to handle this, there will be negative consequences one way or another,” the manager warned.
But Greg’s brother, Dave Beckett, expressed surprise that no senior Wells Fargo executives attended his memorial service, although some of his colleagues did. The bank sent flowers as a gesture of sympathy.
When an HR representative later contacted Dave to provide information about his brother’s life insurance and final salary, she had not been informed of the circumstances of his death.
Greg’s niece wrote a moving tribute to her uncle on Facebook shortly after his death
Greg was responsible for Wells Fargo’s internal controls, aimed at protecting the bank from risk, but his workload had steadily increased, leading to longer hours and more stress
When she heard the details, she was shocked and quickly ended the conversation.
“He had personal responsibility for that place, and that place had no responsibility for him,” Dave said Wall Street Journal.
Scott Powell, the chief operating officer at Wells Fargo, said the bank’s top executives had been notified of Greg Beckett’s death and the company was communicating with employees. Senior HR staff were also on site to meet employees.
Wells Fargo encouraged employees to return to the office and told employees in Wilmington they did not have to be in the office the week after Greg’s death.
It appears the message was lost as many employees had already returned to the office when they received the advice.
Returning employees noticed that the conference room window Greg had jumped out of was boarded up.
Unfortunately, this heartbreaking incident is not an isolated incident. Every year, hundreds of workers take their own lives in their workplace, leaving family members bereft and colleagues left to grapple with unanswered questions.
Scott Powell, the chief operating officer at Wells Fargo, pictured, said the bank’s top executives had been informed of Greg Beckett’s death
Every year, hundreds of employees take their own lives in their workplace, leaving family members bereft and colleagues struggling with unanswered questions
Last year, nearly 50,000 Americans lost their lives to suicide, for an annual increase of 2.6 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the pandemic, workplace suicide rates fell as more people worked from home, but as workers returned to the office, the numbers have risen again.
Employers are encouraged to look for signs that their colleagues may be struggling, but detecting such signs is challenging because the underlying problems are elusive.
Some people may choose to end their lives at work to prevent their loved ones from discovering their bodies, while others may see it as a way to convey their feelings of mistreatment in the workplace.
For the companies, responding to such tragic events is also a challenging task.
Managers must show compassion for their employees and the victim’s family while respecting the privacy of personal matters.
If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach Samaritans NYC at 212-673-3000 or the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386.
For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988 or click here.