Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, has heard about workers getting into trouble, even being fired, for posting his comic strip but now he has verifiable evidence.
David Steward, who worked as a security supervisor at the Catfish Bend Casinos in Burlington, Iowa, lost his job three days after posting one of Mr. Adams' strips to the company's bulletin board. To add injury to insult, Mr. Steward found his former employer was contesting his claim for unemployment benefits.
That was what brought Mr. Steward and his former employer together again before an administrative judge.
Steve Morely, human resources director for the casino, said management at the company found the strip, which compared managers to drunken lemurs, to be "very offensive."
He added, "We consider that misconduct when you insult your employer."
For his part, Mr. Steward said he posted the strip after learning the company planned to lay off 170 workers, believing "it would cheer some people up." He added, "I found it humorous."
The administrative law judge in the case, Lynette Donner, sided with Steward believing that his putting up the Dilbert comic represented "a good-faith error in judgment." With the ruling, Mr. Steward will be able to receive his unemployment check.
For his part, Mr. Adams could see how the cartoon would have put Mr. Steward on the wrong side of his former employer. "Most 'Dilbert' comics don't come right out and call management a bunch of drunken lemurs," he told the Des Moines Register. "So I can see how this one might have been a tad over the line."
Discussion Questions: Have you seen in the workplace comic strips or other "humorous" material that could be seen as a criticism of management? Do you see this as a firing offense? What is the lesson in this case for other employers?