If you just run around shouting at people, you can get in a lot of trouble.  After all, people have been thrown out of baseball games for shouting, and if you can’t shout at sports, you’re likely not going to be able to scream at the mall or at work.  Typing in all capital letters is the Internet version of shouting.  Unsurprisingly, Vicki Walker, a former accountant at New Zealand company ProCare Health, was fired for ‘shouting’ in emails.  That’s right, someone lost her job because she used the Caps Lock key once too often.

Now, personally?  I think they had every right to fire her.  Unless you’re doing an imitation of the late Billy Mays, there’s no reason to type in all capital letters because it’s just obnoxious.  That’s why there’s a shift key on the keyboard.   All caps is for EMPHASIS only, not entire emails.  If I had to read that mess daily, I’d flip out.  Caps Lock is not cruise control for cool.

Unfortunately, a justice tribunal in Auckland did not agree with me, so Ms. Walker was awarded $17,000 dollars (New Zealand) for wrongful termination.  This is why it pays to have an email style guide for all employees; this way, if someone violates common decency rules, they can be fired legally.  I guess obnoxiousness isn’t something you can administer pink slips for in this day and age.

Tags: fired for caps lock use, netiquette violations, Vicki Walker, ProCare Health, unusual court cases, lawsuits

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