I've walked through a few offices in my time. Once or twice I would come upon a comic strip that sticks it to upper management. I don't understand the big deal of having them, and would think businesses would be used to them by now. Obviously a sense of humor is not a requirement for a management position.
I read an article about an individual who was fired from his job over a Dilbert comic strip and I immediately thought, and quite strangely, "This is why I'm glad I don't have a job." I would like to have money and I would like to be able to do what I want. The only niggling factor is the inability to give some kind of individual expression — even indirectly such as a comic book — without getting fired.
Granted it was probably not a good idea for the individual to post the comic considering that an upcoming layoff was in the process. Also, employees are throwing the problem back in management's face with that strip essentially led to the "We'll show them" tactic of firing. If I were on the other side of the coin, perhaps I would fire the worker over that.
Th "that" is a comic strip. Even in a state that has the right to fire people for whatever, the mere justification for such an action is completely laughable. I suspect people who work for a health food store would be fired for bringing in a McDonalds bag.
I take that back; that probably has happened.
When I observe Dilbert, I see it as a comic giving voice to the disgruntled worker. Perhaps if managers took a look at the comic themselves and examined their daily issues at work, they would probably see that the comic isn't completely about work. Everyone at some point gets frustrated with another individual's stupidity. From the managers to the lower ranks, everyone has a problem.
A comic strip whose main theme is politics of the workplace should provide a sense of relief and perhaps a few laughs for those who work for a living. To fire someone and ruin their life on the grounds that they were mocked and insulted speaks volumes about the growing sensitivity of people in this country.
Article comments
1 - Marcia L. Neil
Comic strip characters can often be traced to actual people--apparently the objection becomes that those actual people have not been hired and are not on the payroll, so should not be represented in the premises.