Sacked

[uncletom6]

my friends son has been sacked. no warning, nothing. been in the job about 18 months. they are all working from home and so have a chat group. there was some banter and my friends son called a colleague a nonce!! he didnt mean anything nasty and even the colleague it was aimed at didnt take offence. now the boss has seen this and he was phoned up and sacked. his work colleagues even the guy he called the name to have all phoned him and said they are shocked he has been sacked and have even told management no offense was taken. i agree its not a nice term to call someone but is it a sackable offense and can you be sacked via a phone call?

[woofgang]

In the Uk until you have been in employment for 2 years you can be sacked pretty much without reason, yes you can be sacked by telephone.

[TonyV]

Calling someone a nonce is not very professional, not surprised he got sacked

[Buenchico]

Within the first two years of a person's employment, their employer is free to dismiss them for any reason they like or even for no reason at all. (The only exceptions are those related to statutory discrimination. e.g. an employee can't be lawfully dismissed with the first two years because the employee has discovered that the employee is gay).

[Buenchico]

^^^ Typo!
'employer', not 'employee', as the third word on my last line.

[uncletom6]

Thanks for the replies

[Tuvok]

Was this a work relate chat or just friends?

[uncletom6]

friends

[woofgang]

but was it within work time?

[uncletom6]

yes im pretty sure it was in work time

[ToraToraTora]

I'm assuming it has been classed as gross misconduct. Bit late now I guess but you really have to be very careful what you say these days in a work situation.

[alavahalf]

Lucky he got a phone call .. I know someone who sacked all his employees with just a text.

[johnk]

Yes. You should be very careful what you put online. The term he used could be considered very offensive.

[Peter Pedant]

yes yes and yes
Buenchico - in short you are screwed until you have clocked up 2 y
He has to be careful therefore
(which is kinda obvious if he wants a job)

Clearly there was someone who did not like being called a nonce or the boss wd not have got wind

harassment is clear - it is not what the sayer thinks or intends, it is how the hearer reacts.

he has learnt an early but expensive lesson - it is clear we dont have the full picture, but it is quite lawful to do this

[Smowball]

Not a very nice word to call someone is it.

[ToraToraTora]

it's an acronym.

[jackthehat]

No, it's a 'backronym'.

It is a lesson hard-learned by your friend's son but, as has been said already, when talking to work colleagues during a work day it is always best-practice to watch what you are saying and utter only the most banal of admonishments, if any at all.

[thugulike]

Did he go through a disciplinary process? Even if he didn't have 2 years service (to qualify for an unfair dismissal claim) he could claim breach of contract. For that to succeed the D&G procedure MUST be within the contract. If they are outwith the contract then no disciplinary process is necessary

[Jackdaw33]

Nonce stands for Non-Communal Exercise. It is prison shorthand for those offenders not allowed to mix with others, usually sex offenders.

[douglas9401]

'Imitates Munchs The Scream at the very thought of such outrageous behaviour'

Not really.

Hopefully he'll find a job in the real world soon.