GlaxoSmithKline Fires Employee Over Performance Review: Was It Justified?

By Jane Okoth

Dealing with racial discrimination in the workplace is a common stressful situation that many employees deal with.

It is even worse when you are being dismissed from work because of such a reason.

An article on Reuters read that, “GlaxoSmithKline, fired an executive from its South African unit for refusing to appear for a performance review, which was called a week after he complained of racial discrimination in the workplace.”

The article further reports that, “The employee who requested not to be identified as he was seeking reinstatement, refused to attend the company’s quarterly performance improvement plan, saying the program was designed to force him out.”

Back in Kenya, one of the reasons for firing an employee is if he or she refuses to obey a command by an employer. This is according to Fridah Abuya, a Human Resource Officer at Virtual HR.

With that in mind was the company justified in firing the executive?

“Employees need to learn to follow the rules of the company,” says Joseph Owuor a Field Coordinator at a local NGO in the country.

“In my view, he was trying to use the issue of racial discrimination as a scapegoat because he knew he was not performing well at the company,” he opines.

“The executive is just an employee who is good at disobeying orders and shifting the blame on the management,” Mr. Owuor concludes.

“Racism and tribalism is a form of discrimination that cannot be taken lightly,” says Caroline Kimani, a Procurement Manager at a local health institution.

“The fact that he claimed to have been fired on these grounds is a serious issue,” she argues.

“The executive seems to be having sense in his argument. It is clear that the company was busy witch hunting and looking for an excuse to fire him,” she explains.

“Why did it seem to be so convenient for them to arrange for a performance review a week after he complained of discrimination in the workplace?” she poses.

“I agree with Joseph that the employee should have first followed the company’s orders then resort to airing his grievances later on” points out Gabriel Wanjala, an Administrative Assistant at a private university in the country.

“We cannot be sure what really happened between him and the company because they all have different stories,” he argues.

What’s your take/view on this?

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