Can you be fired for ga.ming and some more ish at work?

Hey folks, do you remember the HR Tidbit many moons ago, well if not click here.

People. READ your company handbook policy. You know the thing you signed when you went to work for the company that is now collecting dust or filling up in a landfill somewhere. IN ADDITION, if you did not sign anything, remember that your laptop/computer/cell phone is their property. Do not tell me about your state laws, because you better read them again, oh and see if your state has cases were they sided with the employee and not the employer. You are an at-wil.l-emp.loyee, unless you are in a union and THAT does not guarantee you protection.

Most companies have policies stating zero tolerance or automatic termination if your caught “misusing” the company Internet or playing games on the computer. Well, I told ya’ll a couple months ago this was an issue.

My BFF has been having problems with her subordinate; she has been cutting up some type of terrible. We will get to that in a moment.

Picture this:

IS: I need to see your computer.
Gamer: Wait, I need to close some screens. I have too many opened.

Phone Rings

IS: I need to see you in my office
BFF: What’s up?
IS: You need to give Gamer a warning she was playing games on the computer.

BFF is a new manager, so she really did not know what steps to take, especially since she has been having problems with this girl. So, she decided to contact HR. They told her to give her a verbal or written warning.

BFF: I talked to HR and they told me to give her a written or verbal warning.
BFF Supervisor: So what are you going to do?
BFF: Give her a written warning.
BFF Supe: No she will be fired.
BFF: Are you serious?
BFF Supe: This was her last chance and she blew it.

See, this girl has been a hand full. She has only been there for a couple months and she has not been productive at all. My BFF wanted to fire her a while ago and I told her she should from the crap she was doing, but HER supervisor would not fire her and then they put her on an action plan. THEN, she started calling in/leaving early. Well, that lead to a final warning and then the girl filing a grievance against my BFF, because she did not feel a final warning was necessary. Well the grievance amounted to nothing. It has only been a little over a month and she was caught on the computer.

When they talked to her to fire her she said she “accidentally” clicked on it, but IS, said, um, no when I came to her desk she was playing it and not one, but two games was opened.

People assume you are being tracked by your employer, and no, they do not have to tell you they are doing it. They track your emails, Internet usage and don’t forget that hard drive you save your resume on.

So all you twit.ters, face.bookers, ravel.ers, blo.ggers, ga.mers and por.n watchers, be careful, because its’ hard out here and its’ even harder if you lose your job over something as simple as this.

Oh and how come she told me one fool did get fired for watching smut. What the fuck is wrong with you? At work? Is it really that serious? How do you go home and tell your wife/chick/main squeeze? Because I would flip the hell out.

Furthermore, people when you are fired for cause, you can be denied unemployment. Some of you will read this and say, it is so wrong for her to get fired. It was just a ga.me. Well some will tell you it is a loss in productivity and stealing time. It is, what it is.

Have a great weekend!!