What? I Can Be Fired For What I Do When I'm Not At Work?
Most employees wrongly believe that they can only be fired for what they do, or do not do, at work. In other words, what happens on the job matters and not what happens in the employee's personal life. A number of recent examples which contradict this follow:
Two executives were "let go" from Blackberry (RIM) following their pleading guilty to mischief aboard a flight which, due to their behaviour, had to be re-directed. The company took the position that staff is required to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the company's principles and ethics.
Jian Ghomeshi lost his job as a CBC radio host following allegations of sexual misconduct in his personal life. Mr. Ghomeshi has pled "not guilty" to the criminal charges that he faces arising from the allegations.
Two Quebec schools have fired employees for acting in erotic films. One was an office worker who currently moonlighted in the pornography industry while the other had made erotic films in the 1960's.
Following the suicide of Amanda Todd, who killed herself as a result of bullying, a retail worker lost his job after posting derogatory comments about Ms. Todd on Facebook.
The Lesson: Your conduct outside the workplace matters. It is always prudent to weigh all the potential consequences of your activities.
The content and the opinions expressed here is informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Nor does reading or commenting on it create a lawyer/client relationship with the author. I encourage you to contact me directly at adrianlawoffice@gmail.com if you have specific legal questions or concerns.
http://adrianlawoffice.wix.com/mysite
The author encourages you to share this article on social media.
Follow me on Twitter @gwendolynadrian