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'Dilbert' retells story of Iowan fired over comic

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    • 'Dilbert' retells story of Iowan fired over comic | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register


    In a bit of self-referential cartooning, "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams has penned a series of strips that indirectly describe the plight of Dave Steward, a former security supervisor for Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington. Steward, 50, a resident of Fort Madison, was fired by the casino last fall after seven years of employment. He had posted on an office bulletin board a "Dilbert" strip in which the protagonist compares his bosses to a bunch of "drunken lemurs."

    Casino managers were not amused. By reviewing surveillance tapes, they determined that Steward was responsible for posting the cartoon. They fired him and accused him of not being a "team player."
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    Today's Dilbert as a tribute:

    dilbert20012224380220.gif
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    Here is the offending comic:

    www.desmoinesregister.com | Zoom Image
     
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    MaxBuck;1096662; said:
    On what basis? This guy works for a bunch of humorless dweebs and thinks he can get away with nonconformity. Darwin is at work here.
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    Uh, on the basis that what he did wasn't a fire-able offense and that the comic didn't target any specific manager. Sounds like Darwin is one of the managers...if they had to resort to sifting through surveillance tapes just to find who posted a frickin' comic strip, they have some serious issues. It's not like the guy posted a threat to anyone or publically lambasted a specific manager. There's a limit on how management can treat employees.
     
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    MililaniBuckeye;1096770; said:
    Uh, on the basis that what he did wasn't a fire-able offense and that the comic didn't target any specific manager. Sounds like Darwin is one of the managers...if they had to resort to sifting through surveillance tapes just to find who posted a frickin' comic strip, they have some serious issues. It's not like the guy posted a threat to anyone or publically lambasted a specific manager. There's a limit on how management can treat employees.
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    Please Google "At-Will Doctrine" and get back to me.

    In Iowa, the employee has the burdon of proof in establishing that one or more of the exceptions to the at-will doctrine are applicable. Here, the best hope the guy has is to try to prove an "implied employment contract." IOW, he has to be able to prove that the employer was dumb enough to include some written promise not to fire someone except for good cause in an employee handbook or personnel rules. If they did say that, they need to fire the HR guy.
     
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    Discrimination is one thing, at will is another. I, unfortunately, fire people all the time for cause. Many are surprised to find they have no legal recourse. I wish I had money for each time I hear, "you will hear from my lawyer". I never hear from them again. It may not seem right or whatever term you choose but it is the law in 48 states. Many are then surprised to find out by being fired they don't qualify for unemployment.

    I will agree that firing someone for posting a comic is lame. Posting the picture was not a smart move on the other hand. I think I would have spoken to the employee and had him remove the comic.

    Smart move by Scott Adams to highlight the ordeal. That publicity probably cost the casino quite a bit in lost revenue.
     
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    MililaniBuckeye;1096868; said:
    "At-Will" has limits. "Hey, bitch, you're fat so fuck it, you're fired"....try that in an "At-Will" state and see if it flies.
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    Well, I thought applying it to the facts in the article would be fun. :tongue2:

    Also, if the fat bitch works for a company with only - say - three employees, she is toast in my jurisdiction.
     
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