I've just had a phone chat with Lisa Greenwood, the sacked civil servant. She's explained, and even been kind enough to send me anemail that I can use as evidence. In short, what she told me happened was:
1.) She used google and ended up on Hazel Blear's page on TheyWorkForYou.com
2.) She clicked through from it to Hazel's official site
3.) She found the 'contact me' page on the official site and thenclicked on the email address, which, using a mailto: tag popped up herwork email client.
4.) She wrote and sent her fatal email, which was delivered from herDCSF email account, not her Hotmail which she'd normally use.
Here's how Lisa describes it in her own words:
"Dear Tom, I googled Hazel Blears and found the website 'they work for you' and it said to contact Hazel Blears click on the following link http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/hazel_blears/salford
I then clicked on her personal webpage that said 'contact me'. You will have to contact the DCFS for them to explain their interception. Many thanks Lisa Greenwood"
My guess is that the recipient – the Blears official site - decided to crush Miss Greenwood and tipped off DCSF, who held a kangaroo court and sacked her.
Utterly outrageous.
Miss Greenwood should get in touch with an employment law solicitor straight away. She should obtain full disclosure of all material relating to her dismissal including any contact made by the Blears office. I predict a minor scandal and a modest pay-off….if this is kept in the public eye. You know now….if you get in touch with a MP or minister’s office and they don’t like what you say, they will try and get you sacked.
The Guardian also covers this.
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6 Responses to “The Gagged Civil Servant - Update”
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Totally Stalinist. I agree with others that a warning about spending taxpayers money surfing the internet would have been sufficient.
8 July 2009 at 06:45But sacking!
This is what This Blog is for - can I suggest we all post on this one to spread the word?
8 July 2009 at 07:53One small consolation is that the revolting little Stalinist, Blears, will also be looking for a job before long.
8 July 2009 at 12:08I hope she never finds one.
To be honest, while I totally agree that sacking her goes too far (unless this was her third/fourth/fifth non-work use of her PC), she doesn't exactly seem like the smartest cookie on the plate, does she?
8 July 2009 at 17:10"She found the 'contact me' page on the official site and thenclicked on the email address, which, using a mailto: tag popped up her work email client."
To which she answers: "You will have to contact the DCFS for them to explain their interception."
Jesus wept! What 'interception'? You sent them a mail from your work addy!
EPIC FAIL, Lisa....
"You know now….if you get in touch with a MP or minister’s office and they don’t like what you say, they will try and get you sacked."
8 July 2009 at 17:12There's a simple way round that, though. Are you ready?
If you are a civil servant, do it when you get home. And have an untraceable email.
That probably goes for anyone with a company email too, if you think your company would be swayed by the big stick of government.
Everyone else will be just fine.
Agree with JuliaM. It was the height of stupidity to do what she did, and whilst I do think she has a 'reasonable' case if she takes it to a tribunal, the plain fact of the matter is you just need to be a bit more net-savvy than she obviously is.
8 July 2009 at 22:03Don't get me wrong, I've seen a lot worse which has gone unpunished whilst working in various government departments, but this is more a case of stupidity than anything else.
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