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Aeris · Aug 7, 2006, 02:08 pm

Article

In Britain, 21 year old Katie Tanner recieved a text message from the retail shop at which she worked saying she was fired. The director is defending the method saying that it was in keeping with youth culture.

Should your boss be able to sack you through a text message?

The Second Law · Aug 7, 2006, 02:25 pm

Keeping with youth culture, my ass. He just didn't want to fire her to her face.

I say sure, he should. Of course, he should also be prepared to accept the consequences of using a less-than-perfect means of doing so. If she showed up to work the next day because her phone was dead or something, he wouldn't have much of an excuse, but I see no reason to not be able to do that.

--Second

PatrickHenry · Aug 7, 2006, 02:27 pm

Every company sets its own rules. Are you opining that governments should tell companies how to fire people?

Many times termination arrangements are negotiating points in union contracts. If there is no contract, the company may choose any method of firing its inept workers.

Aeris · Aug 7, 2006, 02:34 pm

Quote:

Quote by: The Second Law

Keeping with youth culture, my ass. He just didn't want to fire her to her face.

I say sure, he should. Of course, he should also be prepared to accept the consequences of using a less-than-perfect means of doing so. If she showed up to work the next day because her phone was dead or something, he wouldn't have much of an excuse, but I see no reason to not be able to do that.

--Second

In the article, it says that they tried to get ahold of her by other means, including resorting to to passing messages through her boyfriend, to get ahold of her.

I think that in other circumstances, he would have tried to explain the situation to her face. What annoys me is that if he knew she had the phone, he should have just called her and left a message for etiquette's sake.

I'm sorry, I alt+s'd when a customer came up and didn't finish my message.

The Second Law · Aug 7, 2006, 02:53 pm

Quote:

Quote by: Aeris

In the article, it says that they tried to get ahold of her by other means, including resorting to to passing messages through her boyfriend, to get ahold of her.

I think that in other circumstances, he would have tried to explain the situation to her face. What annoys me is that if he knew she had the phone, he should have just called her and left a message for etiquette's sake.

The article doesn't exactly indicate what "tried to get ahold of her by other means" means. Did they try and call? Surely they didn't try to find her in person, and to suggest that an employer have to resort to such action is pretty ridiculous. Perhaps texting was the last thing they could have done. Hell, they even found her boyfriend.

I can only assume that they tried calling. As for leaving a message, well, maybe they did? I don't particularly care for the vague words they used in the article...

--Second

Aeris · Aug 7, 2006, 02:57 pm

Quote:

Quote by: The Second Law

The article doesn't exactly indicate what "tried to get ahold of her by other means" means. Did they try and call? Surely they didn't try to find her in person, and to suggest that an employer have to resort to such action is pretty ridiculous. Perhaps texting was the last thing they could have done. Hell, they even found her boyfriend.

I can only assume that they tried calling. As for leaving a message, well, maybe they did? I don't particularly care for the vague words they used in the article...

--Second

Neither do I. I'm trying to find another article.

EDIT

This one says the owner tried to call her.

Another was a blog - I refuse to cite a blog. I can't find anything on CNN or ABC, but this did happen in the UK.

Osborn F Enready · Aug 7, 2006, 03:59 pm

Lack of respect by the boss, lack of class by the boss, lack of intrest by the boss.

From this incident, I would say the boss is a dick, and I would have told him so face to face after the "text" appeared, and I travelled to work to see him do in person what he had to do over the text message because he was such a spineless, executive wannabe turd.

On the other hand, the employee could have been a useless, sit-on-their-ass type, who did nothing but "text" all day, and the boss got one to many complaints about it and decided it was "aprapoh" to send her packing via this forum.

Hard to say with half a story. Is this ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN/FOX Inc.?

Aeris · Aug 7, 2006, 04:05 pm

Quote:

Quote by: Osborn F Enready

Lack of respect by the boss, lack of class by the boss, lack of intrest by the boss.

From this incident, I would say the boss is a dick, and I would have told him so face to face after the "text" appeared, and I travelled to work to see him do in person what he had to do over the text message because he was such a spineless, executive wannabe turd.

On the other hand, the employee could have been a useless, sit-on-their-ass type, who did nothing but "text" all day, and the boss got one to many complaints about it and decided it was "aprapoh" to send her packing via this forum.

Hard to say with half a story. Is this ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN/FOX Inc.?

Unfortunately not. I'm beginning to regret posting it because the original source is yahoo news and the next is USA Today. As much as I dislike the mainstream networks, they are better to cite.

**Matt W** · Aug 7, 2006, 05:45 pm

If it's any help, this was in the main papers last week - certainly the Independent and the Times - and appeared on the BBC as a short.

TehNinja · Aug 15, 2006, 02:39 pm

Quote:

Quote by: Aeris

Article

In Britain, 21 year old Katie Tanner recieved a text message from the retail shop at which she worked saying she was fired. The director is defending the method saying that it was in keeping with youth culture.

Should your boss be able to sack you through a text message?

Sure, he's your boss, he can sack you whenever/however he pleases. (Inside the law of course)

brien · Aug 15, 2006, 02:47 pm

Quote:

Quote by: Aeris

Article

In Britain, 21 year old Katie Tanner recieved a text message from the retail shop at which she worked saying she was fired. The director is defending the method saying that it was in keeping with youth culture.

Should your boss be able to sack you through a text message?

If one is going to get canned, what difference does it make how? When I worked for "bosses" I was canned over the phone on Super Bowl Sunday. Have a nice day!

When it is time to go, just go, unless you have a case against wrongful termination, as in age or racial discrimination.

Otherwise, why bother dwelling on the past, when one should be concentrating on the future?

gr8fuldaniel · Aug 17, 2006, 10:02 am

Heh....

Quote:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...e/4119078.html

Employer advises Dumpster-diving for axed workers

Reuters News Service
Aug. 15, 2006, 4:58PM

NEW YORK - Bankrupt Northwest Airlines Corp. advised workers to fish in the trash for things they like or take their dates for a walk in the woods in a move to help workers facing the ax to save money.

The No. 5 U.S. carrier, which has slashed most employees' pay and is looking to cut jobs as it prepares to exit bankruptcy, put the tips in a booklet handed out to about 50 workers and posted for a time on its employee Web site.

Aug 7, 2006, 02:25 pm	#2 (permalink) (top)
The Second Law Molten Ash Location: Texas Posts: 98	Keeping with youth culture, my ass. He just didn't want to fire her to her face. I say sure, he should. Of course, he should also be prepared to accept the consequences of using a less-than-perfect means of doing so. If she showed up to work the next day because her phone was dead or something, he wouldn't have much of an excuse, but I see no reason to not be able to do that. --Second Economic Left/Right: 5.25 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.44 </sig>

Aug 7, 2006, 02:27 pm	#3 (permalink) (top)
PatrickHenry 9/11: Inside Job Location: Hawai'i, Big Island Posts: 10,446	Every company sets its own rules. Are you opining that governments should tell companies how to fire people? Many times termination arrangements are negotiating points in union contracts. If there is no contract, the company may choose any method of firing its inept workers. "Arms in the hands of the citizens may be used at individual discretion for the defense of the country, the overthrow of tyranny or private self-defense." -- John Adams

Aug 7, 2006, 03:59 pm	#7 (permalink) (top)
Osborn F Enready Principled Observer Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 13,873	Lack of respect by the boss, lack of class by the boss, lack of intrest by the boss. From this incident, I would say the boss is a dick, and I would have told him so face to face after the "text" appeared, and I travelled to work to see him do in person what he had to do over the text message because he was such a spineless, executive wannabe turd. On the other hand, the employee could have been a useless, sit-on-their-ass type, who did nothing but "text" all day, and the boss got one to many complaints about it and decided it was "aprapoh" to send her packing via this forum. Hard to say with half a story. Is this ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN/FOX Inc.? Petition of Redress of Grievances: http://www.givemeliberty.org/default.htm Canadian Lawsuit Against Their National Banks: http://www.freewebs.com/classaction/ Osborn F. Enready

Aug 7, 2006, 05:45 pm	#9 (permalink) (top)
Matt W Moderator Location: Reading, UK. Posts: 6,782	If it's any help, this was in the main papers last week - certainly the Independent and the Times - and appeared on the BBC as a short. I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered. -George Best, on being asked what he did with his footballing fortunes.