We’re all used to hearing tales of incompetence and stupidity.
Imagine that one of your colleagues has majorly screwed up - sufficiently that the screwup is widely known well beyond the immediate team and perhaps publically. The Boss gathers you all together and says, “You all know about X. I have here a letter of resignation from the person responsible.” And then tears it up: “I’m confident that the they have learned and it won’t happen again.”
How would you feel? Would you feel more or less motivated?
What if the incident had been on the local or national news and the press were in attendance?
I think it depends. If it were a mistake that the person really should have known better about, an inexcusable lapse in judgment, I’d probably feel less motivated. Aside from my personal work ethic, what’s to keep me motivated to achieve constant perfection if I know that a major mistake is just shrugged off. Can’t say part of me wouldn’t feel some relief though - it’s a lot less pressure knowing that you can screw up big time and not get fired for it.
If it were an honest, understandable mistake that could have happened to anyone, I’d probably feel a little more motivated. Knowing that management understands how mistakes can happen and supporting people they believe in despite a fluke incident would be a big boost, I think, and would probably improve my opinion of my team and my company.
If it’s a genuine mistake I’d feel good. I think everyone deserves at least one. It’s if the same mistake is made twice by the same person that I’d expect the shit to really hit the fan.
If it were an honest mistake, I wouldn’t feel different about my job. But if it were something like that 911 operator that didn’t respond to that kids mother (perfect scenario IMO)… and they still kept this person on? Well, that would make me feel kinda shitty. I couldn’t look that person in the face, or my boss’s face without resentment. I’d seriously consider leaving.
Everyone screws up, and sometimes the results of the screwup are all out of proportion to the actual mistake. Was it a huge, what-kind-of-moron-are-you mistake, or a simple mistake with big consequences?
If it’s the former, then I’d be a bit puzzled. If it’s the latter, I’d feel damned good about it.
If the person responsible was the warm, close, personal friend of the boss and previous employees had suffered horrendous reamings for similar or lesser offences, I’d be looking for work on the grounds that the good ol’ boy network was an impediment to both quality of work and employee relations.
If the person responsible was just some employee who had screwed up, (lack of sleep, lack of talent, problems at home, lack of training), I’d be inclined to feel good about the company (provided the lack of training was addressed or the lack of talent resulted in a new position with a better fit).
I’d like to know how other employees had been treated in the past for similar mistakes. If someone else had been fired for making the same error, it would seriously lower my morale.
But the ‘What if?’ really depends on the situation. Thus, we’re forced to play adlibs with our replies. So when you say that it isn’t the result of anything, that’s what we have to do, unless we’re given an example.
The answer depends to a great degree on the context. The OP gives no context.
Several points of context have already raised in this thread. Another one is how this particular employee is viewed. If he were a pain-in-the-butt jerk who made each day miserable, management’s failure to use a legitimate opportunity to get rid of him could be very disheartening. There are any number of other factors which could (or could not) be significant.
In my experience, people don’t get fired for mistakes. So my reaction to the OP would be that management was being overly dramatic.
People do get fired for inability to do their job. They get demoted for inability to do their job at their current level. But, if people got fired for mistakes, (unless they were ethical lapses) no one would take any risks, and the company would sink into mediocrity. That is a lot worse than giving someone a second chance.
I’ve known such a person. He had made a giganormous mistake resulting in major public embarassment for very very large company ™ and its CEO and tainting their credibility. The incident was in the press.
He was simply given a significantly less sensitive job. I didn’t like him, in particular for his arrogance. I must admit I rejoiced when I heard about it. The screw-up was so widely known and his credibility so utterly destroyed (internally at least, externally I assume no one knew who was responsible for the blunder) that it was enough of a punishment for my taste.
I work with a very small team - 5 cooks, and our chef - in a hotel with other, larger kitchens. One cook, lets call him Jay, has “screwed up” so many times we are amazed he still has a job. I am not talking about messing up a sauce recipe, burning a roast, or forgetting to clean something (these are all mistakes that happen to everyone).
Jay shows up to work late, frequently. He calls-in often, for pathetic reasons, such as "his (underage) girlfriend is sick, or he forgot his shoes, or he got a flat tire, and wont be in for four hours (yes, four hours late for a flat tire). He has made racist and rude comments to other employees. He abuses the time clock (not puching out for his break, coming to work early without approval, etc). He wastes time on projects that should take half the time he spent to complete.
And for his constant poor behaviour and performance over the last 6 months, he still has a job. It baffles the rest of us, who all agree Jay should be fired. Frustration has replaced morale, and I for one will consider leaving if it is allowed to continue.
I am disgusted by this poor work ethic that seems comonplace in many jobs. I would expect to get fired for behaving this way. But it seems it is tolerated and I am puzzled by that.
