Workplace Abuses That Guarantee Trouble
By Kevin Smith© Pasadena Star-News, January 7, 2006
Want to get fired?
You could start by using illegal drugs or consuming alcohol on the job. And if that doesn't do the trick, try arriving late for work every day.
These are definite no-nos for any work environment that's run in a professional manner. But there are plenty of other ways to get the ax - and some are more serious than you might think, according to Steffan & Co. Inc., a permanent-placement employment agency.
Experience is the best teacher, and you can learn from the mistakes of others. In that spirit, Steffan & Co. Inc. has compiled a list of "10 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Fired."
They include:
Using e-mail excessively for personal reasons. Most people have access to e-mail through their company's systems. Chances are, your boss isn't providing the e-mail so you can shop online or keep in touch with your college friends.
Sending or receiving inappropriate materials via e-mail or putting sensitive company information in e-mail messages.
Abusing the Internet. A survey by the ePolicy Institute, the American Management Association and U.S. News & World Report found that 35percent of companies have disciplined or terminated employees for visiting restricted or unauthorized Web sites. Think your company isn't tracking your Internet use? Think again.
Consistently showing up late for work and then making sure you leave early. That sends a clear message that you just don't care.
Being disrespectful or politically incorrect in the workplace. Political correctness is a hot topic in today's modern workplace and most companies have zero tolerance for offensive remarks and actions.
Doing the bare minimum - nothing more. Employees like this get passed over for promotions and place themselves on the top of the "dispensable" list.
Consistently handling personal business at work. While most managers understand that personal business comes up from time to time during work hours, this business should be kept to a minimum.
Using illegal substances or drinking alcohol during the workday. This one sounds too obvious to mention, but drinking during the day or using illegal substances are habits that will send you back to the job search market.
Treating the workplace like it's your own personal social club. It's great to make new friends at work and be involved in the company's social scene. But it becomes a problem if you're spending more time at other people's desks than at your own.
Blatantly looking for other jobs. Think it's a good idea to fax your resume out from work and do phone interviews for other positions from your desk? Your manager will beg to differ.
Gary Kaplan, president of Gary Kaplan & Associates, an executive search firm based in Pasadena, said many companies monitor employee Internet use.
"They have software that gives them ability to look in on what you're doing," he said. "A fail-safe way, if you want to get rid of someone, is to do an oversight of their computer usage. There are very few people who don't use it for personal reasons."
Employees can also be shown the door for falsifying their academic credentials or past work experience, he said.
"If you get caught in terms of falsifying your background and got hired because of inaccurate information, or if you have a criminal record (and hid it)... these are all grounds for termination," Kaplan said.
In a broader sense, employees can also find themselves on thin ice because they don't fit in with a particular workplace culture, he said.
"I find that more people are terminated because of that than because of a lack of some technical competence," Kaplan said. "It's all about chemistry. If someone has a bad attitude or is difficult to work with, that can contribute to a toxic or hostile work environment."
Morris & Berger, a Glendale executive search firm that deals strictly in the not-for-profit world, has its own sexual harassment policy, according to partner Jay Berger.
"We established guidelines for what is appropriate to say and what's not appropriate to say," he said. "Things that used be considered joking might now be overheard and offend someone."
Employees who send or receive e-mail jokes or other material that's not work related also need to exercise some caution, Berger said.
"Common sense should prevail," he said.
