Employee Terminated by Cell Phone Text Message (SMS)
There's been some controversy over using cell phone text messaging (SMS) to recruit Gen Y candidates. Some believe that sending messages to the cell phones of candidates is equivalent to email spam while others point to the heavy use by Gen Y of cell phone text messaging as evidence that they would not react negatively to receiving a well targeted offer, unlike their Boomer parents. But how many feel right about some being fired by a cell phone text message?
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Katy Tanner, a 21-year-old sales assistant, received the a termination message while she was off work due to an illness. As reported by the South Wales (United Kingdom) Echo newspaper, the text message from her employer was: "We will not require your services anymore...Thank you for your time with us."
"I don't think it's right to just text someone. At least they should have talked to me face to face," Tanner said. "You're not allowed to text in sick, you have to phone. The fact that they texted me is a bit of double standards." Tanner was employed by Blue Banana, a body-piercing and jewellery shop based in Cardiff. The company employees about 120 people, most of whom are under 21 years old. Senior managers there defended the decision. They claimed that they tried to reach Tanner directly "five or six times" and passed on a message through her boyfriend before the text was sent. Store director Ian Besbie added that the dismissal method was fair because texting was a part of "youth culture." |
No word as to why text messaging a termination notice was part of "youth culture" but it is not part of the same culture to be able to text in that you're home sick.
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