Dignity at Work

Funky_Bold_Ribena

ianuk1 wrote: »

I swore online using the phrase f-tard to refer to depot workers who pack things in such a way that goods are always being broken/damaged. No names were mention as it was just a general message to UP there act.

Others have done the same though using bad apples, idiots, fools, etc. f-tard is a commonly used word to describe idiots, etc.

I have now been charged with GROSS MISCUNDUCT and may lose my job.

Where do I stand?

Ian (UK)

What word would you use to describe someone who posts insults online and loses their job as a result?

UsernameAlreadyExists

kws wrote: »

In my opinion the fact that you and the OP seem to think that calling colleagues cripple and f-tard is acceptable speaks reams about the two of you.

In my opinion, you need to get a grasp of the modern english language and it's application in every day communication. It's you that needs to step out of the 70s. F-tard is no more offensive than calling someone a plonker.

kws wrote: »

Fortunately for the rest of us who live and work in the civilized world

Strangely enough, I manage to do this too, everyday, and not go whining to people everytime I see a rude word.

kws wrote: »

there are rules in place to deal with people with attitudes like yours.

What attitude? And do you honestly think that someone should potentially lose their job because they called the Sales department a bunch of morons on facebook, or HR a bunch of bimbos on Twitter, or Accounts a shower of !!!!! on a internet forum?

kws wrote: »

Don't you think it's about time you left the 1970s behind and moved into the modern world?

I am not in the 70s, I can perfectly function in 2013 without, for example, sending a Police raid on a teenagers house to arrest him because he stuck his tongue out at someone and called them a big ploppy pants that smells of poo.

Captain_Shambolic

Again you seem to be equating apples to oranges by comparing F-tard to moron/bimbos. If we use a discriminatory word that's possibly closer like say, n*gger then surely you can get why it's seen as offensive? Or maybe even f*ggot? What would you say had these been the words used?

Ultimately discrimination is based on race/sex/disability that sort of thing and the OP had used a word that is offensive to a section of society that should not be discriminated against, possibly tarnishing the companies reputation. At my job we had people disciplined for a similar thing and one person was sacked for suggesting a line manager might have 'learning difficulties'. You just can't do it in this day and age and to suggest that there is no issue either means you live in the 70's or regularly comment on The Sun message boards.

Or possibly live under a bridge.

AliceBanned

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

and I still read that as the person would NEED to have the protected characteristic in order to be discriminated against.
If I, for example, called you a cripple to your face ... and yet you're weren't. How could I possibly be discriminating against you?

I am, of course, assuming that no-one in the packing depot is afflicted, and that in fact, they are merely being lazy/crap at their job, of packing.

It is offensive and discriminatory on two counts: it is using a derogatory word for someone with a disability, and then using that to insult someone, whether that someone has a disability or not. Clearly by making the connection between the two you are insulting all disabled people as you have chosen a derogatory word about them, as a way of criticising others.

To most people this is common sense and it is courteous not to use such language. It displays that you are unfair, and in any workplace that is sackable as it not only creates a bad and insecure, threatening environment to others, but is also dangerous to the employer, who could be seen to not follow correct employment and anti-discrimination laws. They can't let these things go. They may give a final warning, who knows?

Everyone is unique and discrimination is using someone's uniqueness to insult them. Even if these depot workers are apparently not good at their job, there are civilised ways of speaking to them and trying to work together to improve the quality of their work. Insults are never helpful or necessary in any situation.

I had a manager who was driving everyone out as she was such a bully. The buck stopped with me. One day in front of lots of people I made a comment, quite innocent, in general conversation and she then said "oh you can't get the staff these days". This was unfair in the extreme, I was vigilant and capable and had put together the whole event we were at. I was insulted, hurt, humiliated and angry. I raised a grievance against her. The witnesses at the scene did not back me up, as they said "oh she didn't mean anything by it". Err if they were victimised and picked out and described as incompetent they might have felt differently. I know she did, she was bullying me. I raised a grievance and lost. I appealed, she went nuts and disappeared for weeks. The situation ended with me meeting HR, the HR director, of a very large company, him apologising and trying to do a deal with me. I pushed for three months' pay as I had by then got another job. That nasty, uncalled for comment from her nearly cost her her job. Do you know why? Because if someone reports bullying or harrassment the law allows for that person's own experience and feelings, above all else. Her colleagues had agreed that she had said those words - my honest expression of what she put me through in the workplace, by statements like that, even that one alone was enough, was the evidence. You simply can't go out of your way to upset or offend in the workplace. On any grounds. The employer will sack anyone for being offensive, if only to protect itself from a harrassment case.

PS I could have taken it to a tribunal; I and the union proved to the HR director that they had dealt with the grievance itself in a biased way (tried to blag their way out of it as my manager (a lawyer!!) had clearly broken employment law. based on that one statement and a few others, but I chose to get out of there. the union told me there was a problem from the top down, and another case was underway with someone off long term sick from being bullied by her manager. I agreed to a gagging clause too, simply decided for my state of mind it was better to move on to decent people, and i've been there ever since, five years. . Had this happened now, during a recession, I doubt I would have been as lucky. My health may have deteriorated by working under an unfair, angry, jealous, overpowering manager with no awareness of the meaning of equality.

kws

Captain_Shambolic wrote: »

Again you seem to be equating apples to oranges by comparing F-tard to moron/bimbos. If we use a discriminatory word that's possibly closer like say, n*gger then surely you can get why it's seen as offensive? Or maybe even f*ggot? What would you say had these been the words used?

I'm sure the 70s throwback finds those words more than acceptable as well.

The earlier poster had it right - he likely spends his weekend making monkey gestures at coloured footballers. In what passes for his minuscule brain, he thinks that is what everyone does (probably because its the behaviour he sees from his "mates")

kws

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

In my opinion, you need to get a grasp of the modern english language and it's application in every day communication. It's you that needs to step out of the 70s. F-tard is no more offensive than calling someone a plonker.

So it would appear that everyone on this thread is outdated and you are the only person who lives in the real world then?

I would imagine that you will have a nasty shock coming to you in the future and I look forward to offering you advice when you post a thread asking what you can do because you've been disciplined for calling someone a retard.

You really are either an idiot or a troll.

UsernameAlreadyExists

Captain_Shambolic wrote: »

Again you seem to be equating apples to oranges by comparing F-tard to moron/bimbos. If we use a discriminatory word that's possibly closer like say, n*gger then surely you can get why it's seen as offensive? Or maybe even f*ggot? What would you say had these been the words used?

Interesting ... so you can totally dismiss the word bimbo as inoffensive? You might even use it yourself? So you can't see that for a woman in a male dominated workplace... being called a bimbo is a serious case of sexual discrimination?

UsernameAlreadyExists

kws wrote: »

So it would appear that everyone on this thread is outdated and you are the only person who lives in the real world then?

Yes, put this thread in a different forum section and take "dignity" out of the thread title, and perhaps change it to "I might be gettin sackd for calling sum1 a f**tard", and you'll get an entirely different take.

blckbrd

kws wrote: »

I'm sure the 70s throwback finds those words more than acceptable as well.

The earlier poster had it right - he likely spends his weekend making monkey gestures at coloured footballers. In what passes for his minuscule brain, he thinks that is what everyone does (probably because its the behaviour he sees from his "mates")

I totally understand what you're saying but the use of the highlighted word is a throwback to the 70s in itself. Is it offensive? Nope, not to me in this context but to others? Absolutely.

Language is cultural and often lazy. I've worked with a number of Australians/New Zealanders where 'spaz' and 'retard' are as everyday as idiot. They have to be told that 'you can't say that here'. I have my own opinions of such cultures but I recognise that people have to learn to temper their language. If there is no societal/cultural imperative to do so then allsorts gets said without the same intent to offend as a bigot.

I just had a conversation with my younger 2 - boy and girl, 18 and 16 - about the casual (overheard) use of swear-words and derogatory language. It gets to a point where the user doesn't even hear it and, therefore, misses the level of offence/disgust it can cause. They were full of apologies, and with me as a mother know what I'm saying, but culturally amongst their peers, because it's acceptable it will be an effot to change.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Rule number 1 of social media.

Keep your f in g013 shut.