In this technological corporate age, as employees, we need to be more careful than ever.
I have a recent story I want to tell…
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He could hear the clock ticking as he waited in the HR office, each second almost like a pendulum swinging – another hammer to his skull.
After 18 years with the company, he couldn’t believe it was coming to this. But he was still hopeful, this was only one big misunderstanding. And his record was impeccable, perfect, not one single blemish in all his loyal years of employment.
They’d have to see this and take it into account, he thought. Things would be made right. Everyone knows me here.
He thought back to what a whirlwind the past two weeks had been. Two short weeks that could now change his entire life. They were only text messages for crying out loud – harmless locker room banter among men. It was nothing serious, just guys being guys and joking around. Why had he even been suspended?
Finally, the HR representative walked back in the room, a grimness seemed to linger in his wake like a dark shadow. The rep was a fellow employee that he had known for almost 15 years now. They were friends he thought. But there was no look of compassion or comradeship on the face of the man staring across the room at him now. It was nothing personal. It was business. And things were about to get serious.
“This is what we’re going to do,” said the HR rep as he slid a packet full of papers across the desk to him with a solemn finality that felt like a death. The reality of the moment hit him like a knockout punch to his face. His knees went weak and his pulse quickened to a fever pitch.
He stared down at the packet of papers sitting in front of him like a man facing the gallows. A chapter was ending, and something was beginning… something that he never thought was even possible… a life without the company he had given his blood, sweat and tears to for 18 long and loyal years.
How did it come to this, he slowly surmised?
How did it come to this?
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A few months back one of my good buddies from a past company was fired. Well, he actually got a pretty good deal. As far as the company was concerned, he was fired, but they made it look like a layoff so he could at least collect unemployment.
And let me tell you, this guy was stellar, an impeccable employee who loved the company that he had given 18 years of his life to, but like most of us in today’s technological age, he became complacent. And complacent probably isn’t the right word, lulled to sleep by the convenience of technology is more like it. And he should have known better, because IT is his field. He was the guy that would shut you off when you were being laid off.
However, I think his story can be a cautionary tale. He was fired over text messages, something as simple as that.
The story itself is straight forward. A new guy had been hired into their department of three. The first two guys were chums and always joking, sending out texts that were borderline racist. The new guy goes along with it for a year. Then he gets a text he finds offensive and makes a formal complaint to HR – which might as well have been the kiss of death. HR does an investigation and takes their phones and searches email. And guess what? Yep, for a very long time these guys had not been sending politically correct material and had breached many company policies with the permissible use of technology.
Just like that they were all fired.
When my buddy called and told me his story he was in shock. But I wasn’t surprised. In this day and age it is so easy to get fired over the smallest of things. And usually it has nothing to do with right or wrong, what it mostly boils down to is who goes to HR first. However, in my friend’s case, they all had incriminating evidence, so the company simply did the easiest thing available – canned all of their asses at once. And I don’t really blame the company, this was an easy choice. The evidence was black and white whether you agree with it or not.
But my point is, if you aren’t careful, it’s only a matter of time before Big Brother gets you. We think we are safe but we’re not. Do you have a company car, cellphone, or does your company pay for internet and you use a company issued laptop? Have you done anything that isn’t politically correct or in tune with 100% compliance to company policy on any of these devices or services?
Probably, right? Who the fuck lives life like a damn saint?
It’s crazy what corporate America has become. But these are the things that we take for granted and aren’t diligent enough about. All it takes is one disgruntled person that doesn’t like you to file a complaint – and it’s pretty easy to find a few things you have done that go against company policy. Let’s not kid ourselves there.
Especially with COVID-19 happening right now. If you are working from home, then the work/life balance has been blurred even further. If you are using your own internet to connect to work, when are you actually responsible to your company and when are you safe doing personal things?
I don’t know, but you bet the company is going to cover its ass first. And what about Zoom calls, is everything being recorded now? Can any of these meetings be pulled up in archives and used against you just like that?
Probably.
So, as the world keeps shifting, technology is only going to blur the lines between work and life even more. Yet, all we can do is watch and wait and try to be as understanding of the rules as we can be.
Because the ground is shifting underneath us. The ice is thinner than we have gaged. And as the thread of work/life balance slowly unravels…
Most of us don’t realize, just how fragile or precarious our employment is.
-Q-FI
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P.S. Do you agree or disagree? What is the future going to look like as our working and personal lives are only further blurred? Do you think we’ll see more employee protections or fewer? It’s no secret what I think – big brother’s overarching power is only going to expand… Muwahahaha!
I ran a large corporation with a billion dollar facility and over seven hundred employees I had responsibility for. We did fire a few managers and employees over the course of my career but it was never for minor issues. Repeated or flagrant sexual harassment would get you fired, stealing would get you fired, failing a drug test or taking bribes from contractors were grounds for termination. But we never had witch hunts hoping to find some minor policy breach just to fire someone. Someone leaving a multi year electronic trail on company electronics of racist or harassing behavior should get fired. There is a big difference between minor and major policy infractions. I was much more concerned about the EPA, OSHA and the Department of Justice who all do go on witch hunts hoping to find some minor regulation paper work mistake that they can escalate into a felony indictment. The ice is very thin indeed when they take an interest in your company.
Thanks for chiming in Steveark and always good insight. In my experience the line between major and minor infractions has blurred over the years. If anything, no matter how trivial, is against company policy then the safest bet is for the company to terminate without looking at any kind of subjectivity.
I agree on the safety side, OSHA and MSHA are big parts of my industry.
yep, sounds about right for this day and age. my best friend and i got fired from a crappy job around 1991 and it was basically for poor taste. i remember they didn’t even fire us separately but called us in together the day before thanksgiving. we had a fun 6 months collecting unemployment in our early 20’s.
these days and for years as i have “matured” and become more cautious i only use company email for company business and keep my poor taste to my personal life and blog. i also have a boss who refuses to put the company outlook email on his personal phone for the reasons you listed. i’m in a union even as a technical person and while it may have cost me some dollars and limited my upside over the years i’m glad for the protections now in my 50’s.
Hahahaha. I love that – “keep my poor taste to my personal life and blog.” Much easier said than done!
You bring up a good point with the age side of discrimination Freddy. I think as technology keeps on advancing, people who can’t adapt as well and are further into their careers age-wise might be disproportionately affected.
As you mentioned with your boss and Outlook, I also tried to have two phones for a while to keep work and my personal life separate. But eventually it became too much of a pain as well as they took away the separate phone policy and simply gave you a monthly stipend to use. So eventually, you had to use your own device anyway.
I would also hope that as you point out, the union side gives you more protection than the average private sector employee. But like you say, you just have to watch yourself and be cautious.
I’m sorry for your friend’s situation. Yes, he made a mistake, but there such a thing as disciplinarian action that takes into account years of dedicated service. At least there is in my mind. We want a more just prison system, right? Why not the same for our work environment? Forgiveness is a key gift in life. We seem to have forgotten its value.
You hit the nail on the head Katie – forgiveness. It seems like our society has become a zero sum game in which you are forever penalized for any mistakes. To live is to make mistakes. And I don’t get it.
And I couldn’t have said it better myself: “forgiveness is a key gift in life.” If only we could give it more…
“Your co-workers are not your friends. Treat them as such at your own peril” said Mr. Fate, the former Fortune 500 VP, HR for the zillionth time as he, sadly, had to terminate the employment of a good person who didn’t quite understand that maxim.
I am sad about your pal, of course, and your article is timely. It’s always been super-thin ice as I can tell you, but now even more so. The ground has shifted to the point of quicksand and I’m glad I’m out of all of it, honestly.
That said, use 2 devices (phones/computers/etc.) and 2 dedicated connections, particularly if working from home. You will never, ever lose by keeping a vast distance betwixt work life & personal life.
It’s definitely going to be interesting moving forward and as you point out, do all you can to protect yourself. That’s really all you can do.
I’ll be very happy once I can leave all of these games behind… hahaha.