Dim Flames Meet Dire Consequences

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It’s Friday. Time for something offbeat that’s, um, on my beat. Today I bring you a tidbit from Down Under, where a petty fight between two legal office workers has developed into an international incident thanks to the fine folks at Slashdot. To summarize: a secretary in a big law firm lost track of her ham sandwich and sent an officewide e-mail demanding some explanations. One respondent suggested she just misplaced it, and a heated e-mail exchange ensued. Some coworkers decided this was too good to keep within office walls and e-mailed others; thus, the flame war outgrew itself. A firestorm erupted when both women were fired for their electronic cat fight. Disciplinary action against those who sent e-mails outside the company is expected.

This should serve as a cautionary note to anyone inclined to send inner-office communiqués beyond corporate borders. Those are considered private and proprietary information. Especially if you work for Australian lawyers, who apparently have a low threshold for ham-less employees with a beef.

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