Employers should be pleased by the sacking of Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson, a north-east human resources (HR) expert said yesterday.
Steve Cook, chief executive of HR specialist Empire, which has offices in Aberdeen, Inverness and Glasgow, said Clarkson’s actions appeared to break conditions of his contract with the BBC, and the corporation was right to refuse to renew a deal due to expire at the end of March.
An independent investigation found that Clarkson carried out a “physical attack which lasted around 30 seconds” and was so intense that it had to be stopped by witnesses.
BBC director-general Tony Hall criticised the popular TV figure for his lack of decency and respect.
Mr Cook said: “Employers must set a line over which employees cannot cross – no matter who they are.
“Punching a colleague after a tirade of abuse was considered to be a step too far in this case, and indeed would be for most businesses.
“Had the BBC given in to public opinion and ignored Mr Clarkson’s attack, they would have set a precedent for other employees, and indeed set a poor example for the community at large.
He added: “Ideally, the BBC should have a code of conduct in place stating that employees should behave in a certain manner.
“If the incident had been the result of ongoing conflict between the two parties, we would have advised the BBC to bring in an independent mediator.
“Often, mediation can easily and quickly resolve a dispute before it escalates, allowing both sides to continue to work together.
“The BBC calls itself a broad church, with distinctive voices, however, as a publicly-funded organisation, it must seek to uphold standards.
“By publicly praising the producer who was the victim of Mr Clarkson’s outburst, the BBC has shown its support for its tens of thousands of other employees.
“The best way for employers to avoid violent behaviour from employees is to ensure a code of conduct is in place defining acceptable and non acceptable standards of behaviour.
“Most people would read and sign such an agreement without question. Future employers of Mr Clarkson should take note”.