EDITORIAL: Don’t fire the messenger
It is a pity. Lamberti has displayed outstanding patriotism and commitment
In what workplace and under what set of circumstances would it be acceptable to fire an employee for making a complaint against the boss? In 2018, the answers to that must certainly be: not in any workplace and never. In bygone decades, when CEOs were all powerful and no one dared to hold them to normal standards of accountability for human behaviour, a boss could fire anyone on a whim. Now due to both the law and social norms, CEOs like everyone else are compelled to behave fairly and to respect all employees, no matter how big or small in the operation that person might be. We are of course referring to the experience of Adila Chowan, who was fired after complaining that Imperial CEO Mark Lamberti had discriminated against her on grounds of race by denying her promotion opportunities. On Wednesday, the fallout of the Chowan incident grew, with Lamberti finally admitting not guilt but defeat and stepping down from his role in Imperial in what has been nothing less than a nightmare ...
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