Search
Not Logged In
0
Your Username:
Your Password:

[ sign up | recover ]

Discussion Forums » In The News
Page:  1 
ALL CAPS emails lead to woman's firing
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 07:29
Doc
Post Count: 507


Here is one for you PUCK.... lol.


ALL CAPS emails lead to woman's firing
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.






linkage http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/148175
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 07:41
Jessica [Private]
Post Count: 1751
ROFL.
This is priceless.

Like 90% of my work emails are in caps, just because they're quick messages, and it's annoying to have to turn caps lock on and off. ;D
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 11:13
Mojo Jojo
Post Count: 278
I don't think it'd right. Nobody should be fired without warning. But I always use full SPAG when writing emails, and proper letter-writing etiquette. In using full caps, she would appear unprofessional and immature.
I hate the all caps thing, lol
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 11:14
Mojo Jojo
Post Count: 278
*it's
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 13:34
Makayla
Post Count: 751
I guess it depends what was said in the emails. If it was just the text that seemed "confrontational" then that is just stupid.

What's funny is, when I worked at a hospital all of our emails were typed in red capitol letters, you couldn't change the text.
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 13:38
BOTTOM
Post Count: 98
GOSH YO, I BETTER STOP WRITING IN CAPS, BOTTY DOESN'T WANNA GET FIRED BY THE STEVIENATOR, YO!
0 likes [|reply]
4 Sep 2009, 23:14
Estella
Post Count: 1779
YES, YO - DON'T FOLLOW IN THE NAUGHTY FOOTSTEPS OF PUCK, YO! ;D
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 08:00
.love.struck.
Post Count: 492
I think for work people should be careful how they put things. Bolding, colors, how they say words should be put in consideration because some people would take it differently. They can be harmless, but it is hard to tell from e-mails.
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 08:06
RealLifeComics
Post Count: 571
Beef
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 09:34
& skull.
Post Count: 1701
her co workers are probably happy she's gone and don't have to read the red caps any more ;D
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 09:47
saminal
Post Count: 28
Internally or externally laziness in emails should be an absolute no-no for companies. Every business is judged by its appearances more than it is judged by its product.
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 12:05
Let It Be
Post Count: 226
If her emails were fun or polite, than that would be one thing. But where she was being rude, I can understand how the red caps bothered people. But someone should have asked her to stop writing them that way before they just canned her. I'd guess she probably wasn't well liked anyway if that kind of attitude came through at all in her personality and not just in her emails, so it probably wasn't just the red/bold/caps emails that did her in. I doubt they'd fire someone who was sweet as a peach most the time just for sending some aggressive emails.
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 16:13
immortalized artiste
Post Count: 112
I know when my dad sends e-mails from work, his are all in caps. The programs they use require them to type in caps, so it's pointless to have it turned off. So, when he writes an e-mail, he forgets, or just doesn't bother turning the caps lock off. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. lol
0 likes [|reply]
2 Sep 2009, 16:43
Estella
Post Count: 1779
HAHA - SHE WASN'T FIRED FOR USING ALL-CAPS. SHE WAS FIRED FOR BEING CONFRONTATIONAL - USING A VARIETY OF ALL CAPS, BOLD AND RED FONT TO EMPHASISE HER AGGRESSION. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DO THAT - IT DOES COME ACROSS AS VERY RUDE/CONFRONTATIONAL/PATRONISING. MUCH WORSE THAN WRITING IN ALL CAPS. SORT OF LIKE THIS:

I just can't believe you think this woman was fired for using all caps. She was clearly fired for being CONFRONTATIONAL. She was obviously NOT fired for using all-caps, because she was using a variety of different formats. Simply using all caps would NOT get a person fired. It's perfectly okay to use all-caps, because you are not highlighting certain words to suggest you are SHOUTING them or speaking with patronising/aggressive emphasis.


SEE, YO - DOESN'T THAT COME ACROSS AS RUDER THAN MY FIRST PARAGRAPH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ESSENTIALLY SAYING THE SAME THING? I ACTUALLY MODELLED IT ON A CERTAIN BLOOPER WHO NEVER POSTS ANY MORE, BUT WHO USED TO MAKE ALL HER COMMENTS LIKE THIS, AND WAS GENERALLY SEEN TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL AND PATRONISING.

OH - AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOTHING TO DO WITH LAZINESS - TAKES A LOT MORE EFFORT TO FORMAT CERTAIN WORDS DIFFERENTLY.
0 likes [|reply]
3 Sep 2009, 06:41
& skull.
Post Count: 1701
your second paragraph sounds much ruder than your caps.
0 likes [|reply]
3 Sep 2009, 15:08
Estella
Post Count: 1779
YES, YO. THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT. WHEN EVERYTHING IS IN CAPS, LIKE, ALL THE TIME, THEN THERE IS NO RUDE TONE. IT'S JUST LIKE SPEAKING WITH A DIFFERENT ACCENT OR SOMETHING. BUT IF CERTAIN WORDS ARE IN CAPS, THEN THAT COMES ACROSS LIKE THOSE PARTICULAR WORDS ARE BEING SHOUTED AGGRESSIVELY
0 likes [|reply]
5 Sep 2009, 02:25
love♥nik
Post Count: 1010
Huh. I wonder if I'm thinking of the person you're modeling the 2nd paragraph after. XD
0 likes [|reply]
3 Sep 2009, 00:08
♥ Steph
Post Count: 52
I don't think it's right that she was fired, but at the same time I work with people through email all day and I know that after sending a few in all caps my manager or team lead would eventually come by and talk to me about it. Personally I think if you work in a professional enviornment you need to watch your caps and bolding. I work for a contracting company so things are a lot more strict for us since we have to prove more as contractors, but regardless...It doesn't help that e-mails can be taken a lot of different ways even without the caps and bolding...
0 likes [|reply]
4 Sep 2009, 19:01
Ariel ♥
Post Count: 49
lol, when I read things in all caps I just think the person is yelling it. it doesn't have to be an angry yelling, either. so whenever I read anything Puck writes I just think she's talking really, really, loud. :P *luv ya Puck*
0 likes [|reply]
4 Sep 2009, 23:12
Estella
Post Count: 1779
YES, YO, I HAVE A LOUD VOICE. *SHOUTS, YO*
0 likes [|reply]
5 Sep 2009, 15:48
RealLifeComics
Post Count: 571
Arnie should so go Commando on all your asses... fucks sake.
Post Reply
This thread is locked, unable to reply
Online Friends
Offline Friends