No free pass at work

I HAD an employee, let’s call him Mr X, who was for all intents and purposes a very good worker.

In fact I would go as far as to say that he was an outstanding worker.

There was just one problem and that was that Mr X was very often late for work, not a few minutes late, but sometimes as much as 30 minutes late.

I talked to him, issued verbal and then later written warnings, and at the end of it all dismissed him after going through a proper disciplinary procedure. The fact that Mr X was an outstanding worker did not give him a licence to commit acts of misconduct, in his case habitual late-coming in the workplace. This brings me to the case of Mr Brian Isaacs who, from all accounts, was an outstanding school principal. He, however, committed an act(s) of misconduct, was subjected to a disciplinary process, was found guilty and was dismissed.

Some contributors to the letters page of this newspaper seem to be under the illusion that being an outstanding worker somehow gives you a free pass to commit acts of misconduct in the workplace. It does not.

Mr Isaacs’ supporters continue to advance the idea that the fact that he was an outstanding principal should be good enough reason for him to be reinstated, should accept this and move on. He was found guilty of misconduct by a properly constituted disciplinary hearing and was dismissed. They should let this rest now.