N.H. Town Fires 4 for Gossip About Boss

[querelle]

HOOKSETT, N.H. — Can you be fired for gossiping about your boss? Four town employees here say they were, raising questions about fairness, free speech and a staple of life in the American workplace.

The employees were fired in April after speaking to a lawyer the town hired as a fact-finder to rout out chatterboxes.

They say questions about a close relationship between Town Administrator David Jodoin and a female employee, identified only as "A" in the lawyer's report, drifted into Town Hall sometime in March. They say they weren't the only ones who discussed the rumor, and dismissed it as untrue after briefly talking about it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070523/fired-for-gossip



Gossip is widespread in my office, but mostly harmless. I can't imagine anyone ever getting fired for it unless perhaps it was deliberate and malicious character assassination.

Q

[xmas74]

1. Did you notice the part about how

the woman who they were gossiping about was paid more than two of the gossipers, even though she had less experience and seniority?

Let's be honest-employers don't like employees talking about salary. I'm sure that being brought up didn't help the situation. Gossip isn't right yet sometimes it can be necessary to find out how you're being screwed over at work. That's how I found out about others' salaries-by gossip.

Sounds like someone did get preferential treatment at work.

[querelle]

3. Salary Is Not A Gossip Topic Where I Work

I work for the government and since we are paid by taxpayers, our salaries are public record. Most of the gossip in my office is about who's sleeping with who, who's hitting the sauce hard these days, etc. I tend to ignore most of it, but sometimes you can't help but over-hear the odd salacious bit.

Q

[xmas74]

4. We're not allowed to discuss ours

and ours is not public record.

We gossip whenever someone new is hired and they tell us their salary. Nonstop text messages are sent back and forth over that subject and, in a number of cases, it causes hurt feelings over how some make quite a bit more w/ less experience.

At my job if we are caught discussing it we face immediate termination.

[LostinVA]

8. You ARE allowed to discuss yours -- it's a right under Federal law

Seriously.

[xmas74]

10. Really?

Well, that memo is another thing I can bring up with unemployment.

Did you know I'm on administrative leave right now?

[LostinVA]

11. Yup, although many companies say you can't

Yes, I do. I was going to email you earlier, then got started on something.

:hug:

[xmas74]

12. It's been one of those days.

At least unemployment says that the state might have to pay for additional training/education since I might now be unemployable in this field, even when I'm cleared of the charges.

And that is quite interesting to know. We've received way too many threats about the salary discussions.

[Darth_Kitten]

6. This is so ageist and sexist........firing these ladies.....

Mr. BossMan does protest too much....... hmmmm.

Something is going on, definitely.

[xmas74]

9. We both had the same thought.

I've worked in plenty of places where rumors of "friendships" surfaced. Most were a bit upset but just ignored them. The rare few who make a huge deal out of them usually were having an affair after all.

It was retaliation against the ladies, pure and simple.

[Darth_Kitten]

7. This is so ageist and sexist........firing these ladies.....

Mr. BossMan does protest too much....... hmmmm.

Something is going on, definitely.

[skygazer]

2. That sounds a lot like retaliation

I'm grateful that my job is union and that management has to show proof of wrongdoing before they can just summarily fire me.

[xmas74]

5. I thought the same.

I've worked in enough places to know that something doesn't quite sound right here.