Courage Under Fire: The Lowdown on SMS Sacking

Is it okay to fire an employee by text message? Two recent hearings involving managers who sacked workers by SMS resulted in different rulings from Fair Work Australia commissioners, creating confusion for bosses. The high-profile cases are symptomatic of broader legal and ethical issues confronting managers when they decide how to communicate with staff. Email and text messages are commonly misinterpreted, experts insist. While the key issue in unfair dismissal disputes concerns whether fair process has been followed, the most important message is leave nothing to chance – don't hide behind technology. When it's bad news, both sides need to face up to it.