Vicki Walker, an Auckland (New Zealand) accountant, was sacked for sending supposedly confrontational emails with words in red, in bold and in CAPITAL LETTERS.
The Employment Relations Authority in New Zealand ruled that Walker was not fairly terminated from her position after sending the emails to co-workers. Her previous employers, ProCare, have now been ordered to pay New Zealand dollars $17,000 (US $11,500/€8000) for unfair dismissal.
Fired in December 2007, after two years with the company, ProCare claim Walker had “caused disharmony in the workplace by using block capitals, bold typeface and red text in her emails.”
Walker claims that the one email used in evidence was in regard to how her team should fill claim forms, and specifies a time and date highlighted in bold red, and a sentence written in capitals and highlighted in bold blue. It reads: “To ensure your staff claim is processed and paid, please do follow the below checklist.”
Walker plans to seek further compensation.
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YEAH I HATE IT TOO WHEN PEOPLE DO THAT! SHE DESERVES JAIL TIME IF YOU ASK ME.
SHE WAS HONORING BILLY MAYS
STFU FAGS
Personally I find it rather annoying when people tend to type in all caps. Typing isn’t rocket science and turning off caps lock is pretty simple as well. If she can’t type, she’s got no business being an accountant. The details state that she was explaining how to fill out a form, in which case I could live with that. The text meant to stand out and be edited does it’s job in this situation. But I’m referring to the people that think it’s the ‘new’ e-thing to do. it isn’t.
I’M NOT YELLING, THIS IS HOW I TYPE.
IT’S EASIER TO READ THIS WAY.
She won in the end. Pissed off her former employer by typing in all-caps, and get “paid” for it.
Using caps in text looks like some body shouting out there that’s y they sacked her ;)
Typing in all caps is also harder to read. Although it is used to emphasize important passages, it impairs your ability to distinguish letters quickly. Using ALL CAPS means your reader has to focus harder and longer to read what you type. This is probably the reason it became akin to yelling.
ITS A BLOODY OUTRAGE THAT YOU CANT USE CAPS TO TELL PEOPLE IMPORTANT INFORMATION. I MEAN ITS ALSO DISCRIMINATION AS I’M ALSO DEAF AND AM USED TO PEOPLE YELLING AT ME THAT I FIND COMFORT IN SEEING LETTERS IN UPPERCASE AS THAT ALSO COMFORTS ME.
Her explanation sounds reasonable enough. It’s those people who think it’s cute to type in caps that’s the problem. If it’s more than two sentences, I’d just ignore whatever it’s about and move on.
Her reason in this case is ok. But if it was to intimidate people or because she though CAPS made her statements more valid, I’d want her fired as well. LOL. All caps for multiple sentences are painful to look at.
div style=”color:red; font-weight:bold; font-variant: small-caps;”test/div
I am reminded of old IRC chats so I went back and got this from bash.org
//
Josh: QUESTION FOR EVERYONE….
SecureXeC: IT’S TO THE LEFT OF YOUR ‘A’ KEY.
Someone should have told her that using ALL CAPS IS YELLING. But to be fire for it is a bit much.
I think it is ridiculous that some people are “offended” by all caps. You mean you would be less offended if I write “STFU” as “stfu”. Theses people that respond with “quit yelling!” comments are idiots as well. It’s type people! And technically, it’s not yelling unless you put an exclamation after it. Some people are just idiots though. That being said, she’s an accountant. She should know how to tyoe correctly.
The above comment is pure gold .. typo in the word type.
typo in type, should type typo instead :)
She should be killed, not fired!
I often get emails from accountants in all caps. A lot of the accounting software that people use require them to type in CAPS all day so it is reasonable that you wouldn’t bother changing it to send an email.
Over the years I have, as have all men, been yelled at in a variety of ways by the women in my life. It used to be I had to wait until I actually communicated in person or on the phone, but now I can be as effectively email-screamed at, too. Does any man out there really get the woman in their life? I doubt it, that’s why I wrote The Grease Monkey Gourmet; to help us understand!
Any loser who thinks caps have anything to do with “yelling”, should get a real life and not spend so much time on their computer. LETTERS ARE LETTERS.
I work in IT and see people type up stupid emails like this all day long. What is worse than sending an email in all caps?? Sending an email in all caps, colors and put the message in the subject line while you are at it! We are in 2009 I think anyone working in a business setting should know the standards of typing…. Oh I know another sales person that is a woman with hot pink font ohhh I love that one as well along with the neon green stationary so that you can’t see what they are typing, that is very professional. I bet she is the same person that calls IT for help and then answers another call while already on the phone. Rude. In my opinion A.) someone should have hinted at her at how just down right annoying she was being B.) Someone should have sent a email back to her in the same format and see how she reacted to it. She should have been fired for lake of common sense which she apparently has none of. However, I bet that will be the last time she will make the error of sending an email in all caps and highlighted! I mean after all $17,000 how long will that last in todays economy?
“…’lake’ of common sense” ???? Sounds like you are swimming in that lake!
I think she was probably a very annoying person that got on people’s nerves but her employer might have offered her classes to deal with her angry, harsh attitude. Maybe with counseling she could be a nicer person. She obviously has other “issues”.
Aqui no Brasil, muitas pessoas não sabem que escrever em maiúsculas significa gritar, desarmoniar. Agora se na Oceania é considerado ofensa grave, e a funcionária assim o fez, acredito ter sido injusta a pena de indezinação.
I THINK THAT WAS JUST STUPID MAYBE THE WORKERS JUST WASN’T GETTING IT. SO INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM LOOK DUMB SHE PUT IT TO THEM IN BOLD RED LETTERS. I SEE THAT GOT THEIR ATTENTION SO MUCH UNTIL THEY WERE OFFENED,BUT HAHAHAHAH TO THE COMPANY FOR BEING STUPID IT COST YOU 17,000 DOLLARS AND SOME FOR BEING STUPID THINK NEXT TIME. AND YOU GO VICKI WALKER 2 THUMBS UP TO YOU BABY GIRL…..
GUESS WHAT? I’M USING ALL CAPS RIGHT NOW…SUE ME.
Okay… It is VERY SAD to see people get soo offended over the most little and insignificant things. Why, by highlighting or using caps is to just emphasize the need for attention, not to tell the reader “HEY I’M YELLING AT YOU, EVEN THOUGH TYPED WORDS CAN’T MAKE SOUNDS”.
People get the wrong idea about Capatlized text that 99 times out of 100 is not being used to yell at someone, but just emphasize important instructions and etc. If you take that as yelling, then what is the point of having CAPS as an option on your keyboard, have people become that “stuck up” to think that CAPTIAL means to take offense?? Seriously, what have we come to? To take such little ridiculous things and make them more than what they really are. It is just letters and words, it is not a video of someone screaming in your face and it is not meant to be as that, even all you weird people think it is. Get over yourselves and get back to reality, that typing is not yelling.
SO… WHAT IS SO WRONG IN USING CAPITAL LETTERS. I USE IT ALL THE TIME. I AM SIGHT IMPAIRED AND USING CAPITALS AND A LARGER FONT MAKES IT EASIER TO READ . LIKE IT OR LUMP IT !!!.
I DON’T SEE A REASON FOR SMALL LETTERS AT ALL WHATSOEVER. THEY ARE REDUNDANT. WHY DO YOU NEED 2 DIFFERENT WAYS TO WRITE EACH LETTER? I AS A 30 YEAR OLD BUSINESS OWNER WRITE IN ALL CAPS (MANUSCRIPT) WHEN WRITING, AND PEOPLE SAY MY HANDWRITING LOOKS “VERY PROFESSIONAL” CURSIVE AND SMALL LETTERS ARE WASTES OF TIME LEARNING, BRAIN SPACE, AND TIME. IN NO WAY DOES CAPITALS SOMEHOW MEAN YELLING, IF YOU THINK SO, YOU HAVE MENTAL PROBLEMS.
all-caps users are nose pickers
This is a very interesting story.
How can they fire a person because of using caps. It’s against human rights.
Wow, such a raging debate!! there must be some “ultimate power” that we can consult that will give us the “right” answer. TO ALL CAPS OR NOT, THAT IS THE QUESTION? OK GOD, WHAD’YA SAY? “Which way shall be right and which way shall be wrong and what is the penalty, should we break the socially agreed upon rule?”
I had a woman reply to me in ALL CAPS, and I reported her rudeness. They didn’t fire her, but she wasn’t very nice when she did the job she had to do. They should have switched the woman, so she wouldn’t have channeled her anger onto her work.
FOR ME IT ALL STARTED OUT BECAUSE I WASN’T ABLE TO SEE THE LETTERS ON THE COMPUTER BEFORE I HAD SOME EYE SURGERY. THEN, I THOUGHT IT WAS A WAY TO SEPARATE WHAT I WROTE FROM OTHER PEOPLE’S RESPONSES, ETC.
hello, if this had happened in America, the woman would be a major stockholder in that company, with the aid of a great Counsilor ( Lawyer).
This is an impingmement on the American Constitution’s First Ammendment ( Freedom of Speach), but the Constitution in New Zealond in different. She ws lucky, but she will get more in punitive damages under New Zealand Law.
I believe the lady was trying to GETA POINT ACROSS! If her co-workers had been submitting their claims properly, she would not have had to send the e-mail in the first place.
I believe the lady was trying to GET A POINT ACROSS! If her co-workers had been submitting their claims properly, she would not have had to send the e-mail in the first place.
Unbeliveable, WHY should you get fired for how you write the e-mail. They should get bigger fines for stupid reasons.
I agree, totally. The whole case seems like a nonsense to me. @inchirieri masini – who
knows what could the real reason be – I don’t believe you would get fired even for actually doing what they accused her from.
WHAT A CROC OF BS THAT BOSSES WOULD EVEN LISTEN TO COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER EMPLOYEES ABOUT SOMEONE TYPING IN CAPS. WHAT DID THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT BEFORWE, MESSY HURRIED WRITING. I’M GLAD SHE WON HER CASE, I CAN’T WAIT TO BE FIRED FOR THE SAME REASON SO I CAN SUE FOR WORONGFUL DISMISSAL AS WELL. TO ALL THOSE CAP SESITIVE WHINERS OUT THERE, JUST READ YOUR EMAILS AND SHUT THE F&*# UP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Using all caps is very annoying. @inchirieri auto you are also right. But caps can make the message harder to read.
I think it's actually called “netiquette”, not mental problems. ;)
Yes, i agree :))
I don`t think this is a good reason to fire that woman. I think that they wanted to fire her and find this reason to do that.
Did anyone here actually read the story?
It states at the end that the only email that the company could come up with to prove that she had been sending out ‘ALL CAPS’ emails had only a couple of parts in bold and just ONE sentence in bold and all caps.
Also the nature of the email seems to be that she was having to explain for the umpteenth time to her ‘Team’ how to fill in a claim form! I’ll bet she had sent numerous emails prior to this one explaining the same thing only without any caps or bold font at all.
Her ‘Team’ most likely consists of a bunch of fucking retards and mouth-breathers that consistently couldn’t fill the bloody forms in properly and she eventually became pissed off. Then the email with the bold font and caps was sent – not yelling or being intentionally rude as it wasn’t all in caps – but just trying to draw attention to the important sections of said claim form and exactly how to fill it in properly, to avoid further mistakes.
She did nothing wrong and was crucified by over-zealous arseholes!
I agree. I am experiencing a similar situation where no one really bothers to read or understand what’s going on. Read my post that I just did. I can’t even find it myself! It’s no wonder that so much of everything gets twisted and misinterpreted. These little incidents parallel microcosms of what’s wrong with our society and our world. Life sucks!
Funny people are still commenting after almost 10 months. Awesome. Wait, am I part of the problem? Or is this the precursor to the solution?
I’m thinking that they didn’t like her already, and she didn’t like them, and they were looking for an excuse to fire her. Frankly, if they’d put out an email saying how all office correspondence should be formatted, MAYBE they’d have some standing, but otherwise, they should have found some other trumped up thing to get rid of her. Company deserves what they got. That she’s seeking further damages tells me that they probably also give damaging references and other things preventing her from moving on.
I LOVE CAPITAL LETTERS. THEY MAKE ME FEEL SUPERHUMAN.
Is that real ?
I don’t believe this can happened !
This site have an amazing fresh content !
Very interesting about the ALL CAPS crap. In fact, I teach this stuff all about Netiquette and I think it’s a good point. Now, of all the insipid things to happen, is that I used two (2), yes two words in all caps in an email to my school and was called on the carpet for it.
I believe that the rule is that one should not type the entire message in all caps, but two words???? Hey, come on! Get real. Why can’t people read and then understand what they read. Oh, I forgot to mention: in our limited email Outlook program, there are absolutely no font modifications available, such as bold, italics, colors, or any way to emphasize a word or two (2), which is why I emphasized these two (2) words in the first place with all caps. If that’s wrong then there is something really wrong with the way people interpret what they read and understand. Logic has flown out the window.
Or maybe it was worth it to the commpany to exit this person no matter what to get rid of a bully and restore peace in the organisation? I understand the Tribunal awarded her less than what the Company offered her to go…so who won there?
lol I’m saving that image…
Lol boris! well said
HAHA YES
What’s “ridiculous” is people who have no idea how to type. If you type in all caps I’m not “offended” by it, I’m just not going to bother reading it. Learn to type or hit the road.
You are in the “minority” – and thus would be the “looser”.
-and fags!
Been fired by a man lately? We can tell by you comment.
Time to get off the soapbox.
You lost me at “personally” …
They should have switched you…..
“… If you take that as yelling, then what is the point of having CAPS as an option on your keyboard…”
Ermm…. Duh!
CAPS is not an option! Is there for capitalising:
1. The first word of every sentence.
2. The first-person singular pronoun, I.
3. Proper nouns
4. Names of relationships only when they are a part of or a substitute for a person’s name
Oh wait, I guess you didn’t know that since your name is fully capitalised.
Actually, it isn’t easier to read in all caps. Studies have been done to test that.
Although I agree that one should not use ALL CAPS in e-mails, I do have to point out that it’s the Shift key that is used for your list. The Caps Lock *is* there to type in all caps. But it’s just for short lines/sentences.