A UK-based university worker was fired after claiming that the auto-correct function on his computer had changed his colleague’s name to ‘Hash brown’ in an email. In his defence, the worker said, “Hash brown is not a racist term. It is a breakfast item. It is a bit weird to call someone that intentionally. Why would I do it? To class it as gross misconduct is just unbelievable. It was a typing error. There is nothing to suggest this is racist.”
After a disciplinary investigation into the ‘racist’ email, he was let go when bosses were unable to replicate the error to prove that the message had been amended by auto-correct.
It is always best practice to proof-read emails before sending them. Not only will this make them sound more professional, but it will avoid the prospect of offending the email’s recipient. If this advice is communicated early on to employees, then it may cause HR fewer headaches in future.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
