Lady terminated from her job for using CAP LOCKS.

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09-02-2009, 06:39 AM
Xynh

Lady terminated from her job for using CAP LOCKS.

Quote:

WHAT COULD BE MORE ANNOYING THAN THIS? MAYBE IF IT WAS BOLD? AND RED?

OK, I can't actually make that text red due to the publishing system I'm on, but it would certainly be annoying, wouldn't it?

And if you worked for New Zealand's ProCare Health, it could even get you fired.

That's exactly what hapened to Vicki Walker, who was abruptly kicked out of her job for sending "confrontational emails" with text formatted in a variety of red, bold, and all caps fonts. Walker had sent the emails to fellow workers within the company, usually with stern and detailed instructions on how forms should be properly filled out.

Someone at ProCare didn't like her approach, suggesting she caused "disharmony in the workplace" and was being too confrontational via email, eventually firing her without warning.

Walker, however, got the last laugh. She sued for wrongful termination and won the case, pocketing $17,000 in lost wages and for other unspecified harm caused due to the firing.

Quite a predicament. Is it actually possible to be confrontational in an email message? With instructions on how to fill out a form? By all accounts, Walker's emails sound rude and brusque, but did she cross a line? Just how angry would an email have to be in order to merit being fired from her job? I know I've sent a "confrontational" message or two to my co-workers in the past, and I've received more than my fair share of them, I think. I never recall anyone getting fired for it.

What do you think? Is it OK to fire someone for misuse of their caps lock button? Feel free to respond in the comments section below. First one to do so in all caps gets fired.

Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/148175

Your thoughts on this? At least she won in the end and pocketed $17,000.
09-02-2009, 06:41 AM
MarchoftheBlackLions

About time.

There should be mandatory key locks on all Caps Lock keys.
09-02-2009, 06:44 AM
Orpheus

Doesn't sound like a good enough reason to fire someone. Alright, maybe if she was sending truly offensive/rude e-mails, but the article just says "confrontational"; there's nothing wrong with being confrontational: if something isn't being done the right way, act upon it. I wouldn't be annoyed if I received an e-mail all in CAPS, red and bolded. It would be more of a "pay really close attention to this!" kind of message more than a "I wanna annoy everyone with this".
They probably didn't like her in the workplace in the first place and were just looking for a silly excuse to fire her.
09-02-2009, 06:52 AM
BadpcGuy

They probably just didn't like her that why they found this dumb excuse to fire her. Well she won in the end and got paid I bet they feel stupid now.
09-02-2009, 07:08 AM
woshiibreak

CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL
but with cruise control, you also have to steer.

& KIWI STYLE, BRAH.
09-02-2009, 07:23 AM
Paladuck

Nothing shows that you mean business like emails in all caps, red, and bolded.
09-02-2009, 07:32 AM
MerkaMerka

WELL I UNNO, I CERTAINLY THINK IT WORKS.

to be honest, firing her for that... and like that... she deserves that money.
09-02-2009, 07:37 AM
Jin-Roh

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadpcGuy

They probably just didn't like her that why they found this dumb excuse to fire her. Well she won in the end and got paid I bet they feel stupid now.

This is most likely the reason such events happened the way they did.

~Roh
09-02-2009, 07:37 AM
Xynh

DO YOU GUYS ACTUALLY FOCUS ON THIS MORE THAN OTHER NORMAL TEXT!?

lulz
09-02-2009, 07:43 AM
Jin-Roh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xynh

DO YOU GUYS ACTUALLY FOCUS ON THIS MORE THAN OTHER NORMAL TEXT!?

lulz

Did you type something Xynh? I totally can't see anything.

~Roh
09-02-2009, 07:44 AM
Orpheus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xynh

DO YOU GUYS ACTUALLY FOCUS ON THIS MORE THAN OTHER NORMAL TEXT!?

lulz

Well, yeah. Not so much because of the CAPS and the bold, but because of the red color. It's a natural response. That red gets your attention without being annoying.

NOW TELL ME, WOULDN'T YOU FOCUS ON THIS MORE THAN OTHER NORMAL TEXT? NOW, THERE'S NO REAL REASON FOR PEOPLE TO WRITE IN THIS AWFUL, AWFUL YELLOW OTHER THAN TO ANNOY PEOPLE.
09-02-2009, 07:45 AM
Testeagle

I get the feeling that it was a known issue, so without warning is a little rich, but as for getting a pay out they must of not followed the correct protocols e.g 3 written warnings. It fairly standard on the internet these days that CAPS is the text version of yelling, with a lot of people using text as their main way of communicating in the workplace, it would be kind of the equivalent of your co worker walking into your office and yelling at you because you filled out a form incorrectly, that would be over the top yes?
09-02-2009, 07:47 AM
Orpheus

When I was in high school my teacher would put CONGRATULATIONS! A+ on my exam with CAPS and in red ink. I believe that is confrontational and she should be fired.
09-02-2009, 01:25 PM
Xente

csdsf

BILLY MAYS BUTTON F*CK YEAH

Woshii your country sucks for firing people who use it.
09-02-2009, 01:30 PM
Darkspine

Heard many people at my dad's work have to write the emails in CAPS LOCK..
Don't know why though, he just said they have too..
Even he does it... I gues it is some work thing...

-

my opinion on this, couldnt they just have asked her not to use caps lock?
I mean.. wasting ten thousands of dollars just for a small problem like this?
Dumb company imo.
09-02-2009, 01:31 PM
takkun88

Who thought the capslock key was a good idea in the first place?
09-02-2009, 01:31 PM
Pok

I think anyone that types in all caps, colours their text, center aligns, uses an awkward font should not only be fired from their job but ridiculed out of society.

I think they are annoying attention-whorish asshats.
09-02-2009, 01:56 PM
autophobe

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pok

I think anyone that types in all caps, colours their text, center aligns, uses an awkward font should not only be fired from their job but ridiculed out of society.

I think they are annoying attention-whorish asshats.

this.

10char
09-02-2009, 02:43 PM
Xynh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pok

I think anyone that types in all caps, colours their text, center aligns, uses an awkward font should not only be fired from their job but ridiculed out of society.

LOL you described drawnzers posts. LOLOL.
09-02-2009, 10:26 PM
Norrin Radd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deimos

what like when a mod locks a thread so nobody else can reply but then the mod posts more messages in caps anyways so that they can get the last word in?

example off the top of my head.

Bit random.

Personally, I always thought that was ridiculous. I've always said so. Either lock the thread with your last post or don't lock it. Don't keep posting unless it's an explanation, not an on topic post.
09-03-2009, 12:49 AM
Deimos

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jin-Roh

I'd rather all jobs have a person agree to never sue them because they were fired... Right? Obviously the person/company she was working for was based in either Canada or bazaro world. They are too busy drinking out of their fancy milk bags to think up a good agreement.

~Roh

in canada some places let their office workers drink alcohol on fridays

i want that job

canada has so much sh!t kicking off its unreal.

its like someone did england the way its supposed to be.