Unemployment: Talk Nice
In an unpublished opinion, Callegher v. Board of Review, the Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court reminds us that bad language in the workplace can have financial consequences. Joan Callegher was fired "for use of inappropriate or abusive language towards management/co-worker." (The opinion does not tell us what she said.) A hearing officer found that Callegher's actions "constitute[d] a willful and deliberate disregard of the standards of behavior . . . [her] employer had a right to expect." Thus, her "discharge was for misconduct connected with the work," disqualifying her from unemployment benefits under New Jersey law.
Most people understand the need to speak respectfully on the job. This otherwise unremarkable case reinforces the fact that a failure to behave can hit you in the pocketbook in more ways than one.