London tube announcer sacked over spoof messages

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 27 Nov 2007, 16:42

London tube announcer was sacked over spoof messages hosted on her website. They made fun of yank tourists.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlene ... OUNCER.xml

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 27 Nov 2007, 16:49

It was only posted on her own website, so why would she get fired over that!?
That's ridiculous :N

Quite funny jokes as well btw.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 27 Nov 2007, 17:18

Yi-Long wrote:It was only posted on her own website, so why would she get fired over that!?

It doesn't look very good on the company she works for does it. I agree it is way over the top to sack her though.

A severe telling off would've been more appropriate. You'd think at most they'd give her a written warning, especially as she has worked for them for so long.

She may have a case for "unfair dismissal". There is zero employer/employee loyalty nowadays, talking from experience many companies treat their employees who put in many years of their time like shit!

They are great though and probably a true representation of what she observed

The website is down though

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"Hi - thanks for stopping by. Unfortunately, my site is currently overwhelmed by the sheer number of people wanting to download MP3s of my spoof Tube announcements. Please check back in a day or so."

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 27 Nov 2007, 19:11

I'd sue the fucking socks of them if they did this to me, it's tantamount to state censorship!

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 27 Nov 2007, 21:27

Depends on whats in their contract.

I know if I do anything like that I could be sacked, the same as if I was on a night out and saw someone from work and hit them or called the a name and it could be proved, work could get involved and sack me for that (sound ridiculos, but thats the world we live in).

Many people do not read or even look up what their jobs small print says, or how far a company could go or twist things.

Still its a joke what kind of place we live in when this shit happens.

dvdvision · Post by **dvdvision** » 27 Nov 2007, 22:38

her annoucements seemed way funny, I mean, they should instead concentrate on not having us wait for 39 mns for 3 buses in a row to come along, and instead respect the planned times.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 27 Nov 2007, 23:58

romerojpg wrote:I know if I do anything like that I could be sacked, the same as if I was on a night out and saw someone from work and hit them or called the a name and it could be proved, work could get involved and sack me for that (sound ridiculos, but thats the world we live in).

Obviously hitting someone is very different but few contracts state you cannot make fun of someone, at least not without a warning first.

Few employees would sack you outright, for a first offence. They'd be way to worried the employer would take them to court. Being fired for calling someone a name as a first offence the employer would likely lose.

It sounds like your employer might/would but most wouldn't fire you over calling someone a name. Especially if you've worked there more than 2 years. It doesn't matter what the contract says, by this point you have rights and could take them to a small claims court.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 28 Nov 2007, 13:54

I saw a report about this on BBC News. Her announcements were funny

It wasnt because she made fun of Americans but her employers (I think), said the Tube service was bad.

"Would the man who is pretending to read a paper, but is actually staring at that woman's chest. Please stop. You're not fooling anyone"

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 28 Nov 2007, 14:03

Ofcourse her employers will say that. But fact is that they hired her and kept her for 8 years (why keep a bad employee for 8 years?) , and now that this website comes up they fire her.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 28 Nov 2007, 18:11

bradavon wrote:
romerojpg wrote:I know if I do anything like that I could be sacked, the same as if I was on a night out and saw someone from work and hit them or called the a name and it could be proved, work could get involved and sack me for that (sound ridiculos, but thats the world we live in).
Obviously hitting someone is very different but few contracts state you cannot make fun of someone, at least not without a warning first.

Few employees would sack you outright, for a first offence. They'd be way to worried the employer would take them to court. Being fired for calling someone a name as a first offence the employer would likely lose.

It sounds like your employer might/would but most wouldn't fire you over calling someone a name. Especially if you've worked there more than 2 years. It doesn't matter what the contract says, by this point you have rights and could take them to a small claims court.

You would not beleve how bad it can be for some

we had a 2 day session about "Quality and Diversity", the examples of which they showed us were staggering! for a single, one off name call people have been sacked and took to court over a single name call, and won cash in compensation in the courts as well, even if the name was said out of work! racism yes I can understand, but some of the examples we saw were not even that.

Many of the examples are obviously very very rare, but damn its amazing what you can do if you research into it. It does not even have to be in your contract, it can be held deep within some stupid book somewhere and its up to you to find that and look what you can or cannot get away with. Most companies are like ours as its the NHS afterall and they employ rather a few million people in the UK

Basically if some idiot wants to try something, they can give it a go and may in rare instances win cash thru courts as well for hurt, pain etc..

This Tube case is odd in that someone had to have grassed her up, someone she knew. Unless she advertised where she worked in Big bold words

make fun/slag off your work place etc.. online, but do not give your real name and job role etc...

I just think the whole worlds going to hell when stupid things like this case and others get anywhere at all

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 28 Nov 2007, 18:26

Quality and Diversity

Man I cannot stand all those pointless marketing bollocks talks and ethos'. Which just mean employers can tick the right boxes. In reality they're always just talk and bollocks.

I wouldn't mind but always we have to go to them and then absolutely nothing changes or happens because of them. In my opinion what counts is your skills, reliability, own work ethic that kind of thing. Not slogans and marketing bollocks.

grim_tales wrote:It wasnt because she made fun of Americans but her employers (I think), said the Tube service was bad.

Even so you'd think 8 years of service would mean something, especially when many people change jobs after 2-3 years.

It's probably more their loss than hers.

one off name call people have been sacked and took to court over a single name call, and won cash in compensation in the courts as well, even if the name was said out of work! racism yes I can understand, but some of the examples we saw were not even that.

I'm sure happens but it's not the norm. As you say people are then likely to only go and win a case in court. That's unfair dismissal, simple. If it's a first offence.

it can be held deep within some stupid book somewhere and its up to you to find that and look what you can or cannot get away with.

I can certainly relate to that. When I worked for the police they had pages and pages of text on the Intranet but the search function was so useless it was a nightmare to find the article relating to what you wanted to know.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 28 Nov 2007, 18:30

I agree with you, 8 years service, she's been a loyal employee