Woman fired via text message (SMS)

[Matt]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060804...huBHNlYwNtdHM-

LONDON (AFP) - A company has defended its decision to sack one of its staff by text message, claiming it was keeping in touch with youth culture.
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Katy Tanner, a 21-year-old sales assistant, received the message while she was off work with a migraine, the South Wales Echo newspaper said Friday.

The text message said: "We will not require your services anymore...Thank you for your time with us."

"I don't think it's right to just text someone. At least they should have talked to me face to face," Tanner said.

"You're not allowed to text in sick, you have to phone. The fact that they texted me is a bit of double standards."

Several senior staff members at Blue Banana, a body-piercing and jewellery shop based in Cardiff, defended the decision.

But company director Jon Taylor added that an internal investigation was underway to see if "the ultimate action was ideal".

The retailer claims it tried to reach Tanner directly "five or six times" and passed on a message through her boyfriend before the text was sent.

And store director Ian Besbie added that the dismissal method was fair because texting was a part of "youth culture".

"We are a youth business and our staff are all part of the youth culture that uses SMS (text) messaging as a major means of communication," he said.

The company employs about 120 people in Britain, many of them aged under 21.

[Uncle Mxy]

I know of some folks dismissed from a company in A^2 a few years back via chatty pager and email. In their case, the company was acquired and the office was closing down with the exception of a very few, so they knew the RIF date. They -were- surprised that no one actually called them and talked with them live to give them their notice, though.

[DennyMcLain]

21 years old working at a body piercing shop (drama queen).

Out with a "migrane" (hangover).

Tried contacting her five or six times (not at home, where she should have been with a fucking migrane).

Passed message to her boyfriend (not with boyfriend either...hmmmm).


Is this REALLY news? Seems pretty clear to me she got what was coming to her. The fact that she took this POS story to the media only bolsters my beliefs.

[Uncle Mxy]

Here's her picture, in case you're wondering what she has pierced personally:

[srt4b]

Here's her picture, in case you're wondering what she has pierced personally:

I think we will need a full body shot (nude, of course) to see wht se has pierced

[srt4b]

"You're not allowed to text in sick, you have to phone. The fact that they texted me is a bit of double standards."

How exactly is that a double standard? The two items are not even related. You have to phone in so you shift can be covered ASAP. As far as getting terminated, if you are unreachable by phone (Which she was), then a text would be the same as a voice mail when she cuts her phone back on eight?

I cannot believe this made BBC news. People get demoted, fired, laid off via email all the time.

[the wrath of diddy]

She's white so I bet she has a really flat ass.

[DennyMcLain]

She's white so I bet she has a really flat ass.

That IS a very white Stacey Keibler in your sig, right? No flat ass there.

[the wrath of diddy]

That tasty white ass is digitally enhanced. It's LFL's best work EVER. Making a white woman's ass look that good is more amazing than any of the effects in the Star Wars movies.

[Fool]

I'm allowed to email in sick. In fact, I don't think I've ever "called" in sick here.