I guess I’m a sucker for punishment. Or publicity. Or something.
I was just fired for blogging. Or, more specifically “divulging company secrets in a public space”. No details provided. My “severance” is what my pay would have been up until I left.
Sadly, it doesn’t include pager, so I’m out 2,000$ and it doesn’t extend my benefits so I can’t get the dental surgery I’d planned for next week.
I’m not sure if I should fight this. There isn’t a big enough precedent to know. Anyone know a good (cheap) lawyer I can talk to?
In the meantime… I feel like I’ve been in a car accident. I know it happened. I know what it means. But I have no idea what happened or what it means.
January 6th, 2005 at 9:01 am
Fired huh?
That really is a low blow based on ignorance methinks. I’ve followed your blog quite closely and really see no indication of intellectual property or confidentiality being breached.
The good thing about the blog is that you actually have a traceable and historical record of what you actually have said.
All I can do is echo the sentiments above and wish you all the best.
Find a lawyer and screw your former employer.
Good Luck!!!
January 6th, 2005 at 9:01 am
Fired huh?
That really is a low blow based on ignorance methinks. I’ve followed your blog quite closely and really see no indication of intellectual property or confidentiality being breached.
The good thing about the blog is that you actually have a traceable and historical record of what you actually have said.
All I can do is echo the sentiments above and wish you all the best.
Find a lawyer and screw your former employer.
Good Luck!!!
January 6th, 2005 at 9:38 am
“Sorry to hear that. Are you in the U.S.? If so, you can pay to extend your medical benefits under CORBA. If not, I’m not sure what you can do. Legal fees can add up.”
He lives in Winnipeg, Canada, Scott. Or at least last time I heard, he lives there. (I guess he should update his SitePoint profile if he is living there, then, eh?)
January 6th, 2005 at 10:08 am
First, you had already resigned.
Second, I’m not sure how ppl who have never met you or worked with you can make you a martyr.
Third, maybe this was a way to have you fired without having to wait for further documention of you incompetencies. When you accept a job or position where others rely on you… you need to be reliable… you should not have to be told over and over how things are to be done and you need. You should give your all… 100%… not 70% or 50%
Fourth, I’m sure why any company would want to have someone blog about its’ weaknesses or vulnerabilites as you did.
January 6th, 2005 at 10:14 am
The above comment by Thermo is from someone internally at my old employer. FYI.
January 6th, 2005 at 10:18 am
It’s intersting that this has already started to degenerate.
A point that I made on my blog about Jeremy’s dismissal is quite true, and that is:
No-one will actually know the complete story except for Jeremy and hid former employer.
Things are often promised, deals struck, warnings given etc, that are within the privacy of the employee/employer relationship.
That having been said, I still maintain that I have not read anything on this blog the warrant a dismissal.
January 6th, 2005 at 10:58 am
Somewhere in the blogosphere I saw an ad by a lawyer specializing in blogging matter…I think it was at http://www.rogerlsimon.com though I can’t find it there now.
January 6th, 2005 at 11:55 am
“The above comment by Thermo is from someone internally at my old employer. FYI.”
His last 2 points gave it away. As well as his negativity.
Also, I don’t see how we believe him to be a martyr–I questioned whether that word made sense with how you used it, so I looked it up at Dictionary.com confirming my belief. Most people just see Jeremy as a very bright and friendly guy whom’s advice should be welcomed.
January 6th, 2005 at 12:34 pm
Get legal advice. I was “severely warned” about having a blog – with content that was questionable. I sought advice and it turned out that I had pissed someone off at work and the action amounted to harassment. After extended discussions – they bought me out.
Get at least 2 – preferably 3 opinions – take the common ground and that is probably close to reality.
January 6th, 2005 at 2:47 pm
Cause for pause
I read today that Jeremy Wright was fired for blogging. There’s much discussion on the post’s comments about legal recourse and other ways to fight back. I hope it comes to something for him. It gave me pause because I…
January 6th, 2005 at 5:39 pm
All I can say is that I am stunned and speechless.
January 6th, 2005 at 10:05 pm
Fired for blogging? Another corporation telling people to shut up?
In light of the recent SLAPP against me, I’m seeing a growing trend, a blogger friend of mine getting fired for blogging. My support goes out to Jeremy, thought a firing is a bit different than a law suit, I guess we’re in the same boat. How many o…
January 7th, 2005 at 1:28 am
And you didn’t even post racy photos in your flight attendant uniform. I hope.
Seriously, your new business is off and running. If you want to make a go of a business, it needs to be a full time effort. Make some lemonade out of this thing.
January 7th, 2005 at 2:16 am
Another blogger fired for blogging.
Came across a blog entry from a gentleman who was fired for blogging. Supposedly for “divulging company secrets in a public space”. You can check out the link for the full story. However, it makes me wonder what the “official”…
January 7th, 2005 at 4:50 pm
Jeremy, I’ve been through something like this in the last year (I wasn’t actually fired but was getting an inordinant amount of pressure from my employer to stop blogging OR ELSE) and I found a good labour lawyer (in Australia) who successfully fought my case. It was worth it to get legal assistance, even though it cost a bomb. It made me more than it cost me. Here’s what I’d recommend: get a copy of your employment agreement, and copies of their termination letter to you and then find the BIGGEST, NASTIEST industrial relations law firm you can in your area. And have one meeting with them to assess your case. If they want to take it on, ask them to work on a fee-for-success basis. The biggest thing I learned from my experience was the value of a good lawyer. It took all of the emotional pressure off of me. I knew that if there was a positive outcome to be had, my lawyer would find and maximize it.
In retrospect, it was the best thing that happened to me. Forced me to go out on my own. I’m confident you will feel the same way 12 months from now.
Good luck!
Cameron
January 7th, 2005 at 4:55 pm
I went through a wrongful dismissal suit a few years ago. I had been lured away from my existing job by a dot-com. The day before I was due to start, they emailed me and told me they needed to delay my start date by one month. A couple of weeks later, it became evident that they weren’t going to bring me (or the other six new hires) on board. So I sued in Small Claims for wrongful dismissal, since I’d been fired without cause. Even though I had not worked a day for the company, they caused me to give up a good job and end up unemployed. I was able to get a settlement for one month’s salary AND I was able to convince HRDC that it was wrongful dismissal, not firing for cause (this meant I qualified for EI). You may want to contact HRDC to ask for information on wrongful dismissal. Although I got some information from initital consultations with lawyers, I was able to defend myself.
January 8th, 2005 at 4:30 am
It was interesting to hear of Cameron’s experience… not least because it worked well for him. My experience is that a firm with a reputation for nastiness can be nasty not merely to opponents but also to its own clients. I would not judge a firm’s competence by its size either. And I would always get at least two different opinions and compare firms before appointing them.
January 8th, 2005 at 10:12 am
Hi Jeremy, sorry to hear the news.
I suggest you look into this matter. I believe you’ll get a get lawyer from your blogosphere to assist you. Geoffrey
January 8th, 2005 at 5:49 pm
Jeremy Has Left The Building
Jan. 5/05 fellow Canadian and avid blogger Jeremy Wright announced that he had been fired from his day job for “divulging company secrets in a public space”. In other words, he was fired for blogging. Is this a trend? Seems…
January 10th, 2005 at 6:30 am
Hey Jeremy,
Really sad to hear this..
I guess you could ask for your HR guy to respond to your demand for information on this policy.
I am not very conversant with US/Canadian labour law, but in India some companies say that any company information you share can get you fired…without warning…so you’ve got to check if you signed any such document and also what is the instance of that violation…
All the best on your other company….godspeed and good luck !
regards
Gautam
January 10th, 2005 at 12:56 pm
Bloggers’ rights.
Ellen Simonetti, a former Delta Airlines flight attendant, was fired for posting pictures of herself and others in their Delta uniforms. She is one of the more well known instances of someone being fired for “blogging-related” reasons. She now…
January 10th, 2005 at 8:28 pm
Jeremy, good luck with your life ahead.
January 18th, 2005 at 1:01 am
Jeremy, take this incident as a blessing in disguise.
A repressive company environment is not good for you and you will do better elsewhere. I am sure that there were indicators of this kind of treatment which you may have ignored because you were getting your work dome.
Any outside creative activity can be a target for those whose game is playing office politics rather than getting work out.
Figure out what your next job is going to be and don’t waste time trying to fight your dismissal. I’ve been there and done that and it is generally a waste of time. Keep networking until your friends and associates hook you up with somebody that needs your skills.
Good luck!
January 20th, 2005 at 12:00 am
Sorry to hear that you got fired. Don’t feel down I’m sure you will get a new job fast if you are not going for blogging 24/7. You are a tallented guy.
January 20th, 2005 at 12:22 am
I think it’d be very interesting to see how well he could do with just blogging being his job. But with his experience in it, and his popularity I’m sure he could do well with it.
March 11th, 2005 at 10:51 am
Jeremy Has Left The Building
Jan. 5/05 fellow Canadian and avid blogger Jeremy Wright announced that he had been fired from his day job for “divulging company secrets in a public space”. In other words, he was fired for blogging. Is this a trend? Seems…