Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Woman, Email, Fired, CAPS, Zealand | Themes: The Internet, Software, Networking
An accountant in New Zealand was fired for using all caps, and bold, red font in her emails.
An article in the New Zealand Herald claims that an accountant for ProCare Health, serving as the company's financial controller, was fired because she sent "confrontational" emails. The emails consisted of some words typed in bold, red letters, all of which were in caps. However, Vicki Walker was quickly avenged by the Employment Relations Authority, and was thus awarded $17,000 for an unfair dismissal.
The emails, sent to co-workers, caused "disharmony" in the workplace due to the block capitols, red text and bold typeface according to ex-employer ProCare. The company dismissed Walker back in December 2007 after just two years of service. ProCare also claimed that she sent multiple emails, however only one example showed up in court.
Strangely enough, the email presented to the court didn't offer any specific slandering, but rather instructions on how to fill out staff claim forms. Time and date were specified using bold red, and there was also a sentence written in capitols and highlighted in bold blue reading: "To ensure your staff claim is processed and paid, please do follow the below checklist."
"To say that [email] is confrontational is ridiculous," says Walker. "I have spent thousands defending myself and there are so many issues that are unresolved that I want to take them up on." Walker added that she plans to lodge an appeal for further compensation.
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Somehow I doubt she was fired for merely using caps to explain how to correctly fill out a form. I suspect we are all quite familiar with the person who comes across as a real a-hole in their email messages (usually in person too, for that matter). Anyway, there's something to be said for being polite in the workplace, even if you can't stand the person you're communicating with.
Not any fault of tom's, but todays news is kinda boring. And should have been a reprimand not out right dismissal.
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!
It sounds like she was using the capitals, bold, and red font to emphasize important parts of the email. I know that's what grabs my attention in the endless stream of worthless business emails I receive daily.
Now if it were something like "DONUTS IN THE KITCHEN, GET THEM WHILE THEY LAST!!!", that would be a different story.
Mis-coordination .......
[color=red]BOLLOCKS!!!![/color]
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAN BE AN ISSUE IN THE WORKPLACE WITH ANYONE. IF ANYTHING, IT IS EASIER TO READ CAPITAL LETTERS. I ALSO ENJOY DEFFERENT COLORS BECAUSE IT MAKES IT SPICIER TO READ. I WISH MORE PLACES WOULD USE ALL CAPS. ESPECIALLY ON FORUMS.
I wonder if they have a statute in New Zealand like they do here in California where you employed at will and can be fired for any reason (according to most applications or offer acceptance letters). But it sounds like she was fired unreasonably. We will never know the full story I suspect.
Can we have boomaga narrate the email?
Well I don't know abut the all caps thing, but I also like a little color in my mail. Sounds like they just didn't like her, and that is not a reason to fire someone. We all have a right to be an ASSHOLE sometimes.
i was fired for using all lowercase in pink.
^ I would never fire someone for showing a little pink...
It's "capital" not "capitol" btw. You're likely getting confused by "Capitol Hill" since capitol means a building housing legislative assembly (although I don't think it is used much in modern English or American English).
Does this now mean that Best of Media will now fire you too?
At the start of employment in New Zealand there is a new law that allows the employer to "let go" a new employee within 3 months I believe. After this trial period you need to be warned before being fired. Unless of course it’s a major offence which this clearly is not.
As jellico said above, she probably pissed of the wrong people who were looking for any excuse they could to get rid of her.
She was fired for sending "confrontational" emails that were highlighted by the aforementioned techniques. And her plan now is to do what? Lodge and appeal of further compensation? And she thinks what? "I have spent thousands defending myself and there are so many issues that are unresolved that I want to take them up on."
Sounds like the terms for dismissal were spot on. Unfortunately, while I'm sure the company hopes to not ever see her again, it appears she just won't leave them alone.
Sounds like she was communicating well - I'm guessing something else may be going on here (did she talk to her coworkers in the same way she emailed?)
On the other hand - I just can't understand why some people always write in all caps. All caps is harder to read than normal upper/lower case.
Sounds like she was communicating well - I'm guessing something else may be going on here (did she talk to her coworkers in the same way she emailed?)
On the other hand - I just can't understand why some people always write in all caps. All caps is harder to read than normal upper/lower case.
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!It sounds like she was using the capitals, bold, and red font to emphasize important parts of the email. I know that's what grabs my attention in the endless stream of worthless business emails I receive daily.Now if it were something like "DONUTS IN THE KITCHEN, GET THEM WHILE THEY LAST!!!", that would be a different story.
donuts?!?!?! WHERE!!!!!!
That's what she gets for being a noob.
mAn tHAt SUCks!
I would have fired her too. People that post or write emails in all capital letters show how big of a mouth-breathing idiot they are. She even looks like an idiot.
If that's the email in the picture that she was fired for, it was ridiculous to fire her for that and she does deserve compensation.
Her company was retarded for firing her over that, but she was also a dumbass for sending the email. If she had been warned beforehand about doing it then I would understand them firing her though.
If pointing out AN IMPORTANT DATE is going to scare the hell out of someone, THEY SHOULD STAY HOME.
Nothing I see in the example screen shot... is anything to be upset by.
Here's the original article. Pretty pathetic that the council took the best part of two years to grant her compensation, but hey... That's NZ justice, where the mill wheels grind very slowly, but exceedingly finely.
Had the employer just shuffled the positions around a bit and made her redundant, they'd not have a case to answer. I predict that this is not the last I'll see of this case.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ [...] d=10594014
Capitol != Capital. Famous theorem.
ALL CAPS=PERMABAN
wtf admin abuse
donuts?!?!?! WHERE!!!!!!
OMG... DONUTS!!!
I would have fired her... turn the caps lock off bitch...
Somehow I doubt she was fired for merely using caps to explain how to correctly fill out a form. I suspect we are all quite familiar with the person who comes across as a real a-hole in their email messages (usually in person too, for that matter). Anyway, there's something to be said for being polite in the workplace, even if you can't stand the person you're communicating with.
Yeah...she looks like a |3!tCh Boss person....
Somehow I doubt she was fired for merely using caps to explain how to correctly fill out a form. I suspect we are all quite familiar with the person who comes across as a real a-hole in their email messages (usually in person too, for that matter). Anyway, there's something to be said for being polite in the workplace, even if you can't stand the person you're communicating with.
If this person had used other emails with slanderous content and more confrontational content, don't you think the company would have submitted them as evidence? If you were a company lawyer and the worst example was the one above you would have looked a little harder.
CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL!
"please do follow the blow checklist"
It sounds like they fired her for bad grammar as well. I would not be offended by this email. I bet she was a Jerk in person.