Exactly as the BBC had done, right? Consider the following though: • An estimated worldwide audience of over 350 million people • Watched annually in well over 200 territories • Over 1 million people signed a Change.org petition to have him reinstated, in what was the fastest-growing petition for that site.
So, you have a much loved personality who generates huge annual revenues for your company… Is it still easy to decide not to renew his contract? I don’t think so, but do I disagree with the decision? Not at all, not least for the fact that he has caused problems in the past, the previous year he had to apologise for use of a racial slur. I believe the BBC made the right decision for all of the right reasons. As Lord Hall, director general of the BBC put it: “There cannot be one rule for one and one rule for another dictated by either rank or public relations or commercial considerations”. As I see it aggressive and abusive behaviour in the workplace is always unacceptable – and it does not matter whether it is the boss who is guilty of such aggression, or in this instance a very popular and high earner for his employer.