Comments on: Can you fire someone without being discriminatory? http://ozsoapbox.com/rest-of-australia/can-you-fire-someone-without-it-being-discriminatory/ because criticism isn't an armchair sport Tue, 22 May 2012 10:36:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: ozsoapbox http://ozsoapbox.com/rest-of-australia/can-you-fire-someone-without-it-being-discriminatory/#comment-5424 ozsoapbox Tue, 12 May 2009 21:23:58 +0000 http://ozsoapbox.com/?p=1555#comment-5424 Well for now it seems at least Myer are sticking to their decision. They haven't fired Patricia, they've just said they can't offer her work seeing as she failed their OH&S test. In the UK it would appear they've simply abolished 'sorry but you don't fit the criteria for the job' and replaced it with 'Oh you're in a minority group, we'll change the criteria of the job to suit you and disadvantage everyone else. Welcome aboard' Well for now it seems at least Myer are sticking to their decision. They haven’t fired Patricia, they’ve just said they can’t offer her work seeing as she failed their OH&S test.

In the UK it would appear they’ve simply abolished ‘sorry but you don’t fit the criteria for the job’ and replaced it with ‘Oh you’re in a minority group, we’ll change the criteria of the job to suit you and disadvantage everyone else. Welcome aboard’

]]> By: Van http://ozsoapbox.com/rest-of-australia/can-you-fire-someone-without-it-being-discriminatory/#comment-5423 Van Tue, 12 May 2009 17:37:08 +0000 http://ozsoapbox.com/?p=1555#comment-5423 Oz, you've hit on something that has been growing for years now. There are two factors that put employers in this situation. 1) Union Contracts - While I understand unions provide a voice for those who may not have one, employers who have agreed to union contracts may have limited their ability to react with common sense to situations. As a result, people are "protected" from doing what most would consider every day jobs. 2) Making exceptions leads to limited ability to manage - once a company makes an exception for one group, they are basically forced to take action for all groups. If an employer does not treat everyone equally, no matter how absurd a demand, then the employer is immediately discriminating against a group or individual. Someone, somewhere, needs to stand up and say enough is enough. Oz, you’ve hit on something that has been growing for years now. There are two factors that put employers in this situation.

1) Union Contracts – While I understand unions provide a voice for those who may not have one, employers who have agreed to union contracts may have limited their ability to react with common sense to situations. As a result, people are “protected” from doing what most would consider every day jobs.

2) Making exceptions leads to limited ability to manage – once a company makes an exception for one group, they are basically forced to take action for all groups. If an employer does not treat everyone equally, no matter how absurd a demand, then the employer is immediately discriminating against a group or individual.

Someone, somewhere, needs to stand up and say enough is enough.

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