Fired for racist Facebook remarks

Using the "k" word... In 2014... In South Africa... On social media...

Well then I guess you deserve ALL the backlash coming your way :/
 
Nice, swift action by Ericsson. A career in any form of electronic communications in SA will never be an option for her ever again.
 
I really worry about the people who are celebrating her being kicked out of Ericsson for what really does amount to a stupid idiotic statement made in the heat of the moment...

I do not condone her statement in any way shape or form, but to be happy that her life is pretty much screwed worries me immensely.
 
Far too much PC witch-hunting in this country & thread...

Working & private life should be protected as legally separate as far as I'm concerned. I'm not working atm, but I wouldn't want to be worried about anything I say/do (publicly or privately) for every second of every day for fear that somebody may decide to make me into a political football. Just think about the potential ramifications of what you're endorsing if you support this kind of action...
 
I know someone who got fired from her job because she told her superiors that one of her staff members (incidentally coloured in this case) is working for a "k***-salaris' and deserves more. She was explicitly fired for that remark, not because of the suggestion that the staff member deserves more. She was however reinstated months later, with backpay.
 
I also need to add, firing someone from their job is a rather drastic step which will most likely have very serious personal repercussions. Being called a derogatory term...meh, I've been called many things and now damage has been done.
 
SSung said:
Far too much PC witch-hunting in this country & thread...

Working & private life should be protected as legally separate as far as I'm concerned. I'm not working atm, but I wouldn't want to be worried about anything I say/do (publicly or privately) for every second of every day for fear that somebody may decide to make me into a political football. Just think about the potential ramifications of what you're endorsing if you support this kind of action...
Click to expand...

Imagine you've put many years, lots of blood, sweat and tears into your own very successful company, let's call it SSung Inc, that has a generally very positive reputation.

Then one day while reading the news before getting to the office, you hear that some person went and tweeted the K-word for some or other reason. Oh, said person is a project manager at SSung Inc.

You get to work and your office is inundated with calls, emails and Facebook and Twitter messages asking what kind of people your company employs. There're talks of a boycott even.

What do you do?
 
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MartyMarts said:
Using the "k" word... In 2014... In South Africa... On social media...

Well then I guess you deserve ALL the backlash coming your way :/
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Exactly, there is no excuse for this anymore.... there never was an excuse in the first place.
 
Slootvreter said:
I know someone who got fired from her job because she told her superiors that one of her staff members (incidentally coloured in this case) is working for a "k***-salaris' and deserves more. She was explicitly fired for that remark, not because of the suggestion that the staff member deserves more. She was however reinstated months later, with backpay.
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What was the charge? Did the company follow the correct procedures? There are many reasons why she could have been reinstated.
 
Nowadays the use of social media is not any more done in your private capacity. People tend to compare social media to discussions amongst friends or at home and feel it is their constitutional right to voice whatever they feel like without consequences. Is is far more comparable to putting those remarks on a massive billboard along the highway (with your picture and phone number and full name).

I think Ericsson was just very quick with the dismissal because she is a contract worker - the right thing to do would have been to go through a proper disciplinary process and counselling. Social media is a big challenge for companies, after all, their employees should represent the core values and ideals of the company, so any remarks against those ideals will result in some disciplinary action (unless of course you work for the ANC, than you are pretty much exempt from any repercussions)
 
efitol said:
Imagine you've put many years, lots of blood, sweat and tears into your own very successful company, let's call it SSung Inc, that has a generally very positive reputation.

Then one day while reading the news before getting to the office, you hear that some person went and tweeted the K-word for some or other reason. Oh, said person is a project manager at SSung Inc.

You get to work and your office is inundated with calls, emails and Facebook and Twitter messages asking what kind of people your company employs. There're talks of a boycott even.

What do you do?
Click to expand...

i certainly hope that they don't fire the woman who has looked after my kids, brought me medicine when i was sick, stuck through my business when it had hard financial times and that has a family of her own to support because some people out there are insecure **** heads with nothing to do but browse twitter all day
 
STS said:
i certainly hope that they don't fire the woman who has looked after my kids, brought me medicine when i was sick, stuck through my business when it had hard financial times and that has a family of her own to support because some people out there are insecure **** heads with nothing to do but browse twitter all day
Click to expand...

Say what you will about those people but your business is dependent on them for survival. They were that way even while they threw their monies at you.
 
SSung said:
Far too much PC witch-hunting in this country & thread...

Working & private life should be protected as legally separate as far as I'm concerned. I'm not working atm, but I wouldn't want to be worried about anything I say/do (publicly or privately) for every second of every day for fear that somebody may decide to make me into a political football. Just think about the potential ramifications of what you're endorsing if you support this kind of action...
Click to expand...

Fact is there are certain things that you will not say publicly. So do not let the sometimes anonymity of the Internet fool you. Just like on any public platform, you have to count your words even on the Internet.
 
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Ok, so what does this private matter have to do with her job?


How will firing her help?
 
MagicDude4Eva said:
Nowadays the use of social media is not any more done in your private capacity. People tend to compare social media to discussions amongst friends or at home and feel it is their constitutional right to voice whatever they feel like without consequences. Is is far more comparable to putting those remarks on a massive billboard along the highway (with your picture and phone number and full name).

I think Ericsson was just very quick with the dismissal because she is a contract worker - the right thing to do would have been to go through a proper disciplinary process and counselling. Social media is a big challenge for companies, after all, their employees should represent the core values and ideals of the company, so any remarks against those ideals will result in some disciplinary action (unless of course you work for the ANC, than you are pretty much exempt from any repercussions)
Click to expand...
Procedural Unfairness... this will be her only hope. By attaching her company name to her profile on different social media she has created their association with her remarks.
 
efitol said:
Say what you will about those people but your business is dependent on them for survival. They were that way even while they threw their monies at you.
Click to expand...

people are stupid. any company i look at with 100 members, i'm bound to find somebody i do not like and somebody's lifestyle i disapprove of, be it a wife beater, child molestor or someone stealing his neighbours wifi. the fact that something comes out into the open and people feel physical distress on the behalf of others, then feel the need to rectify that distress by making the individual's life(whom they do not know from a bar of soap) as terrible as possible says more about those individuals that the person they have an issue with. psychopaths, lunatics and limp wristed cowards that fight their battles behind computer screens
 
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