You Are Fired - Freedom of Speech at Work - 7/29/09

Since I retired from the Air Force seventeen years ago, (is that possible?) I have had several jobs. I am not sure if that is because I am so diversified or because I have no real skills or direction. Regardless of the reason, though I have done lots of different things, I have never been fired from a job. On the contrary, I am often promoted against my will. I have quit several jobs for various reasons. The biggest of which is that I am in a place in my life that I will not work anywhere that causes me to dread going to work. That was my main reason for recent egresses.

I said that I have never been fired from a job. That is no longer true. I was recently terminated from employment as a shuttle bus driver for the American Hospitality Academy. My dismissal had nothing to do with my job performance. Actually, according to my charges, I was the most popular driver. I was sacked because I write this blog. It seems the content of my posts was unacceptable. My violation was considered “Gross Misconduct” and was described:

“On July 9, 2009, AHA Management was notified by concerned students about a blog that was written by Richard Wainright. Due to the nature of the comments made in the blog and for the safety and well being of our students, Richard is (to) be terminated from the American Hospitality Academy.”

I was totally shocked at this as I really enjoyed the job, though it paid absolute crap. There was no reference to job performance at all. I had never missed a pick-up, had an accident, or treated any student with anything but respect. I enjoyed daily contact with intelligent young people from all over the world. Though I was grossly overqualified for this position, I had intended on doing it every summer until my driving skills diminished with age.

Those of you who have read my blog through its life would agree that the contents of my writing, though not profane, are not always for all audiences. But let’s keep in mind that these are college students, often in their final year of school. Most are in their early to mid 20s. In many ways they are more sophisticated than I. One of their recent parties was called an “ABC” party. “ABC” meaning “anything but clothes.” I don’t think that anything I wrote corrupted these young people.

The drivers that they have kept employed include a man that is in the early stages of dementia, often forgets to pick up interns, and is frequently mean and unreasonable to them. Students have confided in me that sometimes they fear for their lives as he drives wildly and carelessly. Another driver tried unsuccessfully to extort money from a student. This was reported to me and I immediately informed AHA management and student leadership. Another driver is a member of some religious cult and uses her position to try to push her unwelcome moral views on students. This was also reported to me. It seems though my writings have made me a bad influence, interns often took me into their confidence. It is also curious that the aforementioned actions by other employees are acceptable behavior and they continue to be employed, but my writing is gross misconduct and cause for termination. Well, there is certainly no danger of any of them writing a blog. That would require coherent thought and stringing sentences together. In retrospect, a company that has that warped of a concept of what is acceptable conduct does not deserve me for an employee. But I will miss the interns. They enriched my life.