A fair or unfair dismissal from a workplace canteen conversation?

[User157088589849]

This happened around february time at my workplace, where my colleague was sacked because he said

"Generally, white women who have children with black men are financially worse off while black women who have children with white men are financially better off."

To say people were upset by these comments was an understatement. In his hearing, he said the conversation got out of control, his choice of words was not the best and he apologies if it caused any offence but he openly admitted that what he stated was statistically true. The people offended many whom were women wanted hiim punished. So should he have been dismissed?
 

[King]

If employees want a coworker gone, it's in the interest of the productivity for the business to let that person go.

[RI]

I'm not sure if there's data on that exactly, but as white husband-black wife married couples generally have higher, though not massively so, incomes than black husband-white wife couples (page 19), it's probably a fair conclusion when it comes to similarly married couples with children.

For unmarried couples, I doubt data is available, though the stereotype is obvious and I can't immediately think of any countervailing forces (compared to the married case) that could be at work that would impact the couples differentially. He's probably correct, but it's generally best to avoid touchy subjects in the workplace whether you're right or wrong.

[angus]

This happened around february time at my workplace, where my colleague was sacked because he said

"Generally, white women who have children with black men are financially worse off while black women who have children with white men are financially better off."

To say people were upset by these comments was an understatement. In his hearing, he said the conversation got out of control, his choice of words was not the best and he apologies if it caused any offence but he openly admitted that what he stated was statistically true. The people offended many whom were women wanted hiim punished. So should he have been dismissed?
 

I'm not a big fan of the null comparative, but I'm not a fan of spelling offense as you did either.  Neither of them would cause me to want to have someone fired.

My guess is that somebody already had it out of him long before this.  I voted unfair but I suspect that there's more to the story.

[Person Man]

If it's employment-at-will, you are not contractually entitled to the job in the first place you are just licensed to go there and work for money. The rules about getting sacked are- there are no rules.

If its for-cause, I guess its fair if other people think it created a "hostile work environment". It would be interesting to see what would happen if that person also brought up the fact that couples that are black women married to white men make 2% more money than a white/white marriage.

[AggregateDemand]

At-will

Employer can terminate at their discretion, though I would sue vigorously, if they gave bad references to the politically-incorrect employee, rather than citing work performance and history.

[politicus]

Clearly unfair IMO. There should be some protection of freedom of speech at the workplace. Co-workers making a big deal out of stuff like this are jerks, but as others have said, there was probalby some previous grudge against him.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Unfair, but like Angus said, it sounds like there's more to the story than just that comment.

[dead0man]

You shouldn't be fired for stating a fact*, even if it's an uncomfortable fact.




*with exceptions for facts like "my boss is a fat, lazy asshole" or "the receptionist has a lovely rack, I'd like to go motorboating with her ifyouknowwhatImen"

[User157088589849]

Unfair, but like Angus said, it sounds like there's more to the story than just that comment.

He was a data/research analyst so was pretty intense but majority of people just left him alone. His only complaints were usual office politics such as the temperature of the air conditioning. He may have been letting off steam like any canteen area you can directly or indirectly release frustrations with the job.

It may sound silly but now I believe putting right wing newspapers and gossip magazines in the canteen area was the recipe for disaster. My workplace is incredible vibrant, full of strong people and strong characters. We have animal right activists, abortion acitvists, gay-transgender right activists and even have a full converted prayer room. Trust me, the HR department is always tested to the limited.

A few months ago, a New Zealand girl said that the office sounded like the ghetto. Some black colleagues got incredible offended by it but she didn't get sacked. This started another debate as people started sayingthat ghetto is a jewish term not a term against black people.

HR have sent out various information letters to all employees regarding discussions in the workplace but it will never work with the characters that we have.

I'm pretty close to the management in terms of I can talk to them abut personal life etc and I asked about this case further down the line. The decision was simple based on the dynamics of the office. They just needed to take the heat out of the situation as it was constantly being esculated and transfered into other issues that were starting to be work-related. What I didn't know is that they offered him the chance to work from home for 3 months but he refused.

[dead0man]

That sounds like a HORRIBLE place to work.  Good luck.

[DC Al Fine]

What the heck was that guy thinking saying that at work? You have to have a filter in this day and age.

[User157088589849]

That sounds like a HORRIBLE place to work.  Good luck.

Just vibrant not horrible. Most people don't have time to discuss the interests they follow. We just see posters, petitions and campaigns in the canteen or in our e-mail box. It takes one second to delete. No harm done.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

This is actually an example of "Political Correctness running riot" or whatever and is not grounds for termination under any circumstances.

[ingemann]

If all which have been told here is true, it was a unfair dismissal and the workplace sound horrible. Of course I do to some degree blame the employee, as he should know the hostile environment in this work place and should have known to shut up.

[Cory]

Well, it's not like he's wrong. Frankly.