Workers posting racist or discriminatory comments online should expect their employers to act if they are found out, an employment lawyer says.

On Wednesday, Bluebird NZ said one of its managers had been stood down while it investigated anti-Māori language comments made online.

The comments followed Whittaker’s release of the limited edition Miraka Kirīmi (Creamy Milk) chocolate block ahead of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

After the comment and the poster’s place of work were shared on TikTok, Bluebird said it did not tolerate racism and the worker had been “removed from duties” while it investigated.

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Anna Oberndorfer, managing director of Christchurch firm Your Employment Law Link, said there was a broad principle that employers didn’t have the right to interfere with what employees did outside the workplace and in their own time.

Stuff's NowNext survey asked its audience the tough questions about racism and the value they place on Māori culture.

However, there were exceptions to that principle, and it had eroded over time. In recent years, many issues had arisen from social media posts, she said.

While employers were justified in investigating contentious posts, any outcomes had to take into account all the facts, including the settings in which the post...

Read Full Story: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/129611610/employers-justified-in-investigati...