A Whangarei woman who worked at The Warehouse has been dismissed after writing "work sux" and that having to work until after midnight was "gay like the management" on her Bebo webpage. When Deena Pawson's boss read the comments she was fired for serious misconduct, claiming the online comments had brought The Warehouse into disrepute. Pawson told the New Zealand Herald she was just having a bad day at work and does not think the comments justify her sacking. An employment lawyer says employees are free to make comments about their workplaces as long as they do not seriously harm their employer's reputation. The comment that working until midnight was "gay like the management" has to be seen in a 2007 context, Ashley Sharp told the newspaper. "'Gay' is a word that is used in different contexts. It certainly has no sexual connotations. I've heard it used in different ways, even to the point where it is used instead of crappy. "What's wrong with saying that? I think it's fair to say shift work is crappy. Who likes working shift work when other people are at home and you could be with your family."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 20th December 2007 - 11:46am