Along With That Contract Goes a Responsibility

During my tenure as an HR professional I recall an incident where an employee told a group of other employees who were talking about a local gay-rights march “I think they ought to round them all up and shoot ’em!” An African American employee asked if the company was going to allow that comment to go unchallenged. She felt it was a veiled threat that no racist would be allowed to get away with.

An employer cannot foster an environment characterized by mutual respect (which is essential in a diverse work force) if it also provides unfettered “freedom of speech”. Regardless of what you think, there are times and places appropriate for the articulation of your thoughts. Words have consequences regardless of the intent behind them. Employers have a right to expect employees to exercise good judgment in what to say to whom and when to say it. Parents have a duty to teach their children the same good judgment. It begs the question “why is this undesirable to say in public?”. That in turn might provoke some challenge to the thoughts behind the words.

I think Major League Baseball acted appropriately in disassociating itself, the Atlanta Braves and the city of Atlanta from John Rocker’s opinions. Along with that multi-million dollar contract goes a responsibility to represent his employer and his associates in a way they think is appropriate. If he can’t accept that, he has the freedom to disassociate and say whatever he thinks – on his own clock.