Warn him, don’t sack him

Radio NZ reports:

Loudly heckling a politician at a public event is “absolutely” cause for dismissal if it clearly tarnishes the employer, says an employment law specialist.

A Wellington worker’s heated exchange with Winston Peters at a public press conference has landed him hot water with his employer, who does work for the government.

The insults flew as the minister for rail was detailing a $600 million funding boost for rail at a press conference at Wellington Train station during the morning commuter rush yesterday.

The man interrupted the conference, loudly accusing the deputy prime minister of talking bollocks.

The heckler was wearing a lanyard that identified his employer as engineering firm Tonkin +Taylor. The company issued an apology, saying it was investigating in line with its code of conduct and did not condone behaviour that fell short of that code.

They could sack him, but they shouldn’t. A warning would be appropriate.

Having said that what he did was very stupid. He repeatedly insulted the Minister for Rail, who was announcing more money for Kiwirail, and his employer is a major contractor to Kiwirail. And his heckling wasn’t funny or policy based. It was just personally abusive.