Do you think this is fair?

[FyreBrigidIce]

Do you think it is fair for business owners and supervisors to be allowed to discuss former employees while denying their employees the same freedom? In a general sense, should employees be restricted from mentioning names or discussing the former employee at all?
This includes break-time discussions.

FBI

 

[Melody]

Do you think it is fair for business owners and supervisors to be allowed to discuss former employess while denying their employess the same freedom?

To discuss "how" and in what situation?

 

[FyreBrigidIce]

Thanks Melody. I knew I forgot something with my post.

Edditing orginal post.
FBI

 

[No*s]

FBI...could you give us more details? This is pretty sketchy and unclear .

 

[FyreBrigidIce]

Nothing specific. I will give an example to help though.

Say you and a coworker are in the break room discussing a former employee and how they are doing. Your supervisor comes in and overhears the discussion and tells both of you that you are not permitted to discuss this person at all and to do so will result in disciplinary action.
Would you consider this fair?

FBI

 

[No*s]

I don't know. It would depend on what I was discussing. If I was discussing his business affairs, then that would be a problem. If I was discussing his person, that woudl be another matter. In either case, I'd simply be quiet and wait till after work...

 

[FyreBrigidIce]

I don't know. It would depend on what I was discussing. If I was discussing his business affairs, then that would be a problem. If I was discussing his person, that woudl be another matter. In either case, I'd simply be quiet and wait till after work...

What if you are only able to talk to the co-worker at work on breaks?

FBI

 

[No*s]

What if you are only able to talk to the co-worker at work on breaks?

FBI

It wouldn't change anything. When I work, I'm on their rules, not mine .

That said, I also have to point out, I don't know much about the situation, and as such, my answers must be taken with an ounce of salt.

 

[Melody]

Nothing specific. I will give an example to help though.

Say you and a coworker are in the break room discussing a former employee and how they are doing. Your supervisor comes in and overhears the discussion and tells both of you that you are not permitted to discuss this person at all and to do so will result in disciplinary action.
Would you consider this fair?

FBI

I'm still confused. You said "former" employee so I'm assuming this is a personal conversation about what the person is doing now (where working, etc.)? If so, and if neither of the two doing the discussing were in a supervisory position, I'm not sure what business it is of the employer.....unless there's more to this than meets the eye.

 

[FyreBrigidIce]

It's just a general situation. Nothing specific that has happened. I just wanted general opinions.

FBI

 

[kreeden]

Nothing specific. I will give an example to help though.

Say you and a coworker are in the break room discussing a former employee and how they are doing. Your supervisor comes in and overhears the discussion and tells both of you that you are not permitted to discuss this person at all and to do so will result in disciplinary action.
Would you consider this fair?

FBI

Fair ? I would laugh at the fool and tell him / her to go right ahead . Even if there were reasons the company wanted the person forgotten { labour union or whatever } they don't own you and as long as you aren't disrupting work , what right do they have over your private affairs ?

You do have labour codes , don't you FBI ? To protect the rights of emplyees ?

 

[Scuba Pete]

Personally, I could not work in such an environment and wold find other employment, or start my own business. It seems that I have even taken my own advice on this!!!

 

[kreeden]

FBI , I don't see how your excample would " hinder the preformance of the job "??? Talking about how a friend is doing , on a break .

 

[michel]

It's not as clear cut as that FBI; let's say for instance that someone was 'persuaded' to leave the job, and rumours were going around the office as to the reason ?

Can you imagine it "Well, I heard that it was because he 'tried it on' with one of the girls" - you know how quickly 'jungle drums' go around offices; you also know the old game of 'Chinese whispers' - itreally could be dangerous, and I can see certain circumstances where the employer, superior would try to stop speculation.

 

[Scorn]

Although Michel raises a good point about specifics, I am in agreement with NetDoc on both his points(although he might find it hard to believe that I'd agree with him).

This is a bad situation and, self employment rocks.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

It wouldn't change anything. When I work, I'm on their rules, not mine .

It would depend on if they were paying me during my lunch break.

I don't know if the discusssion of the former employee was friendly discussion, or if it was otherwise. If it was otherwise, I can imagine why the supervisor said this (though I wouldn't bring it to the warning level). I don't think one should speak ill of another when the other person is not present.

I've also dealt with having former coworkers that were fired for having done horrible things to the systems, or for fraud. If that was the case, then some managers might not have the common courtesy to point out that discussing that behavior could have an ill effect on morale.

Otherwise, I wouldn't understand it.

 

[niceguy]

I live in a country with strong labour unions, we are used to NOT submit to the wishes of the employers. If they try to enforce a rule that we consider stupid, we resist. This situation, in Sweden would be more like the employer on a personal to level express a wish that we abstain from discuss the former co-worker. The employer would however have no power to enforce this unless we of course we take unskedual break to discuss the topic (ie suddenly stopped working and started to chit chat instead), in that case the actual topic doesn't matter.

We can even discuss the employers pro'c and con's if we wish and this is a classical way to blow of steam if we are displeased with the employer, they know this and usually ignore such talk unless it goes out of hand.