Sure-fire Ways To Get The Sack

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday September 6, 2008

Helen Hawkes

Some office blunders are just unforgivable, writes Helen Hawkes.

If you are a politician, it seems it's fairly difficult to get fired these days. But in other jobs getting the boot is easier. Transgress certain office, company and social rules and you will find yourself packing your belongings quicker than you can say "Centrelink".

Continuing low unemployment means there are still plenty of other jobs to go to but it's wise to keep these sure-fire sackable offences in mind.

Damage a company's reputation

Whether you're a chief executive or a project manager, your boss won't be impressed if you bring the company into disrepute.

Leaking juicy stories to the media, bad-mouthing your company on the internet or generally disgracing yourself in public are a few of the ways you could hurt its image.

Some companies set boundaries from day one. Dolores Lavin, a director of the talent agency DLM, says her staff often work on confidential campaigns, including those for clients such as Armani, Louis Vuitton and Revlon. Upon starting, they are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement that outlines their responsibilities.

Causing damage can also occur on a more basic level. Tim Woodman, managing director of Exercise Australia, says the outlook would be bleak for an employee who damaged his company's reputation by selling inappropriate equipment to a client.

Drunk on the job

Some workers are encouraged to drink with clients when providing corporate hospitality but as a rule alcohol and the office just don't mix.

Caroline Vickers-Willis from recruiter Ross Human Directions says being intoxicated at work is dangerous. It will impair your judgment and physical co-ordination and could compromise the safety of other employees. Depending on an employee's role, drunkenness, particularly on a repeated basis, can result in dismissal or direction to counselling at the very least.

"If you are in charge of dangerous equipment, it is likely to be more serious than if you are a receptionist at an advertising agency," Vickers-Willis says. "I can't think of one company we work with that doesn't have a drug and alcohol policy."

Sexual misconduct and bullying

Sexual harassment is against the law in NSW. Such behaviour includes making unwelcome advances to colleagues or carrying out actions that offend or humiliate any member of staff.

Bullying is also increasingly unacceptable in the workplace, as is the use of the internet to view pornographic sites. Most companies provide advice on both these areas in their codes of conduct, says Adrienne Unkovich, managing director of Workforce Guardian, a company that helps employers manage staff.

Vickers-Willis says most companies have a written sexual misconduct policy that employees should read. "What generally counts is not the intention of the advance but how it is received," she says.

Theft or fraud

Stealing from your company will put you in the firing line as well as bring the possibility of criminal charges.

Russell Cool, a senior manager for Langham Hotels International, says staff theft is regarded very seriously. All staff, including those in housekeeping, administration and front desk, are advised "any theft of hotel property will result in instant dismissal".

Andrew Gray, founder and managing director of Raw Materials, has a similar approach at his national food business. Fortunately, Cool says, such incidents are rare. Gray has yet to dismiss a staff member for theft or fraud.

One grey area is stealing intellectual property such as designs or artwork. "This is a muddy area," Vickers-Willis says. "It is a policy-based issue within an organisation."

Non-disclosure

It is important to disclose any criminal convictions if your employer asks for these when you apply for a job. Failure to do so could see you dismissed if the offences come to light.

Vickers-Willis says offences will generally show up on any criminal-record check that a recruitment firm conducts on behalf of employers.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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