Sean Hannity is the bad guy in hotline operator firing
(MoneyWatch) Talk show host Sean Hannity called the Affordable Care Act hotline a couple weeks ago and put employee Earline Davis on the air. Soon afterwards, Davis was fired. She said she was unaware of the rule against speaking with the media. Feeling badly about the outcome, Hannity then gifted Davis $26,000.
On the surface, it sounds outrageous that Davis was fired for simply answering her phone and that Hannity is a stand up guy for offering her money and help in finding a new job. But in reality, it's highly doubtful that Hannity didn't know the conversation could end badly for Davis.
Most companies have strict policies prohibiting employees from speaking with the media, and people who work in the media should know this. While getting the "big scoop" may be appealing to reporters and talk show hosts, one should not do so at the expense of someone else's job. If he wanted to, Hannity could have taken the time to locate an ACA hotline employee that was willing to speak to him anonymously. That's what his numerous producers are for.
Davis does not get a complete pass on this either. She states she wasn't informed about this rule. I suspect she was, but not in a way that any normal trainee would remember. After all, she wasn't planning on going out and seeking media attention. Additionally, if a reporter had tried to corner her in the parking lot, she probably would have said no and walked off. Getting a phone call while at work? It was unexpected and she acted reflexively by being nice and answering questions. However, she should have instantly identified the call as something needing approval and called a supervisor over.
Businesses need to control their message. It would be a disaster if every employee was free to represent the business in discussions with the media. And, in a job that is such a political hot topic, the last thing the company with this contract needed was an influx of phone calls from reporters and talk show hosts. They needed to make a very clear statement that this kind of behavior was not allowed.
Would I recommend firing? No. Would I recommend discipline? Yes. A formal write-up and a probationary period would be appropriate in this case. I wouldn't expect Davis to make the same mistake twice, but making it very clear to everyone that this behavior is unacceptable is incredibly important.
Sean Hannity did try to make it right by paying Ms. Davis the equivalent of one year's salary. For that I do give him credit. And hopefully, with his connections and help, she'll be able to quickly land a better job.
