Know Your Rights

Let me say this my fellow Americans, I am glad we have free speech in this country.

Oh wait a minute, do we?

Today, Fred Hosier posted on his HR Blunder website:
http://www.hrblunders.com/dilbert-tangles-with-first-amendment-when-do-employees-free-speech-rights-cross-the-line/
about a employee at the Catfish Bend Casino in Iowa who got fired for posting a Dilbert cartoon on the employees bulletin board that compared managers to drunken lemurs.

The problem with this, is this man was just broadcasting to his colleagues what everyone knew to be true already. Managers are like drunken lemurs. Woops, did I just say that? It's a good thing this blog is anonymous. If my employer found out about this, I would be in big trouble.

But wait a minute, again. The first amendment of the United States affords me the right to free speech, doesn't it?

And the same goes for the workplace. Right? Shouldn't I be allowed to say what I want, when I want, etc?

(sigh) After the day I had today, I'm so torn between being a civilized, diligent HR person and wanting to give the finger to the whole lot of them.

All right, I will be the civilized, diligent HR person.

So I will say this, knowing what I know about this guy in Iowa getting fired, is that, not all the rules in the world apply to the workplace. In short, as a person coming to work, the company is not paying you to be yourself, express yourself, or be whatever is you need to be. The company is paying you to come to the jobsite, actually WORK and in turn they will give you cash and health care, etc. So should the Iowa guy have been fired, knowing what I know....no. But should he be allowed to express his humor.....perhaps.

Am I contradicting myself? Not really. It is the responsibility of the Iowa guy to come to work and work while he is there. But it also the responsibility of the Catfish Bend Casino to make Iowa guy aware of his rights as an employee and what they expect in terms of conduct. If they don't, them shame on them and Iowa guy is probably better off not working there anyway. In my opinion, this seems silly that the Casino has no room for humor, but if they don't, they should kindly remind Iowa guy that, "We have no sense of humor here and neither do you. So get back to work and don't do it again." In other words, if it's within company policy and it is not heinous, like stabbing a co-worker, a verbal warning would be suffice.

The point is Know Your Rights.



The Clash "Know Your Rights" from "Combat Rock" 1982