Fired for being stupid
Yesterday I wrote about Robert Paxton, who lost his job when pictures of him holding a mini-keg of beer over the head of a young woman on a boat were sent to the local paper and picked up by national media.
The young people were of legal drinking age, so should he have been terminated?
“The thing we struggled with was whether his personal life was, you know, his,” he said. “I think we all thought that was true. On the other hand, his position — I guess what you do in your personal life does affect the public’s perception of what you do on the job.” –College Trustee
Ex Boeing CEO Harry Stonecipher had a consensual affair, but lost his job anyway because he didn’t live up to the code he himself implemented.
“He drew a very bright line for all employees, let everyone know that even minor violations would not be tolerated and when does that you have to live by that standard.” –Board Member
Legal sex per sae as the reason for termination doesn’t count as much as lying about it or using company equipment to facilitate it.
The lying I understand, how many people admit to affairs? But using company equipment to look at porn or company email/instant messaging to talk sex is just plain stupid.
Actually, barring actions that are illegal, such as underage anything or harassment, pretty much all of this falls in the bad judgment, AKA, stupid category.
My conclusion is that stupid will get you fired if it involves sex. Too bad stupid isn’t grounds for termination when applied to business.
What do you think?
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Image credit: nevit CC license
Tags: Harry Stonecipher, Robert Paxton, sex at workRelated Stories
POSTED IN: About Leadership, Ethics, Fun Friday, Leaders Who DON'T
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