Waterstones

The thing is I dont really want people sacked for tweets, I am gender critical but for me one of the reasons I am gender critical is freedom of speech. It's possible there is more to this than meets the eye, and I suppose there is some irony in someone trying to get an author cancelled being cancelled themselves. I dont particularly view Waterstones as on the side of the gender critical so it is an odd one.

This is the original clip that Tilly posted on X. No sign of real tears. She has now protected her account and I can’t find any of the several clips she has since posted on X. She has also posted the same, imo, self-indulgent stuff on Instagram. She continues to blame CD, Waterstones, Terfs, Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all, etc., for her dismissal, and refuses to accept any responsibility for her own actions.
x.com/blablafishcakes/status/1810579894394310897?

This is the response/explanation from Waterstones.
x.com/wstoneshelp/status/1810657183920427208?s=61&t=qph6ruaz5B5GPjDn7jnZBw

Although Waterstones say the dismissal was not due to trans gender issues, the article in the Metro is very biased against anyone with gender critical beliefs, and neither CD nor her publishers were contacted before it was published as claimed by the person who wrote the article.
There’s theories being postulated on X about this affair. Some think that Tilly was dismissed due to gross misconduct (threatening to destroy books). Tilly only said it was her own books after she was dismissed. Others think that she must have already been given previous warnings by Waterstones.
I admit to having no sympathy for Tilly when I think of how many gender critical women and men have had their reputations wrongly sullied over the last few years. E.g. Kathleen Stock, Maya Forstater, Jo Phoenix, Graham Linehan, James Dreyfus, James Esses, Rachel Rooney, Gillian Philip, JKRowling to name but a few of the better known names.

Finally, this is a post by CD on X.
x.com/cv_dalcher/status/1811054035773825035?s=61&t=qph6ruaz5B5GPjDn7jnZBw

Callistemon she said the books are very good. She wrote positive pieces about them.
It was just the tweets and comments of the author she didn't like.

I was in Waterstones recently, buying books for my great nephew’s Christening gift. It was such a very pleasant environment, where I used to bring my young granddaughters. They are still avid readers, which I find comforting. I think the employee deserved to be fired. There is a limit to how tolerant one should be, surely?

Christina Dalcher is a very poor writer but I still think Tilly Fitzgerald should not have expressed herself in that way.

Whenever I hear of people being sacked for something quite minor, I always wonder if there is more to the story. Perhaps she was a PITA and put customers off buying any books she didn't approve of.

I hate the idea of destroying books, it reminds me of the Nazis and Fahrenheit 451(one of CD's favourite books). I believe people destroyed Harry Potter books in protest about something JKR said.

Let's face it bookshop staff have to sell all kinds of rubbish by people like Katie Price, Jeremy Clarkson and Jim Davidson.

Urmstongran

DamaskRose

As far as I understand it she was going to tear up her own property?

Indeed, it was this.
She had a book at home written by said author and the ‘influencer’ said she’d chuck her copy in the bin - saves me reading it.

Why would she buy a book she dislikes and doesn't approve of?

Very odd.

People can be very naive about their (mis)use of social media. If she wanted to critique her employer and their policies she should have opened an anonymous account to do so.

I can recall a staff member being disciplined back in the 1970s for going to a newspaper with a critique of the local authority. His remarks were to some extent valid but he was lucky to get off with a written warning.

DamaskRose

As far as I understand it she was going to tear up her own property?

Indeed, it was this.
She had a book at home written by said author and the ‘influencer’ said she’d chuck her copy in the bin - saves me reading it.

She was employed to sell books, any books for sale in Waterstones. She has built up a following on social media so her comments about destroying books of which she does not approve would very likely influence possible buyers against making a purchase.
She is a sales assistant, not a literary critic.
Silly woman.

M0nica the worker has written very positive things about the books on the same blog. Her comments were about what the author had been saying... not the books which she had previously bought for herself.

BigMamma
I expect the Waterstones worker would agree.

She didn't want to destroy Waterstone's books.
I think maybe you have been misled somewhere - even the author thinks the person was referring to her own copies.

She should be fired, if she wants to tear them up then she should buy them first.

This is disgusting,anyone who destroys property that does not belong to them should be arrested.

With rights come responsibilities. To act in a way that suggests you think what your employer sells is rubbish is just that.

Customers in Waterstones may well ask her opinion on books. What would she say if someone wanted to buy a book by this author.

She willingly works in a bookshop where she sells books by countless authors then destroys books by authors she disagrees with then goes on social media crying like a silly little 4 year old bully brat in the playground, stomping her little feet and chucking a massive tantrum.

Waterstones were 100% right in chucking her in the bin!

She says she did like her work, kircubbin2000 - and has written about her previously on her blog.

I wonder why Waterstones haven't sacked her for her blog before???

She doesn't like what she says about gender identity (and other things).

Here's another (interesting) article.
knowingius.substack.com/p/waterstones-fires-tilly

NotSpaghetti

Thanks for the link Parsley she obviously violated a social media policy but really???
Surely this is a warning matter - not a firing.

We don't know exactly what her contract stipulated though.

Thanks for the link Parsley she obviously violated a social media policy but really???
Surely this is a warning matter - not a firing.

Well said MissA.

As far as I understand it she was going to tear up her own property?

Indeed she does. Freedom of speech is all well and good - and I will defend anyone's right to it - but you have to remember that it does come with responsibilities and consequences, and if you breach your employer's rules regarding social media, then you need to face up to the consequences of that. For someone who works in a bookshop to talk about destroying any book - their own or their employer's - is just plain wrong, in my opinion.

She has only herself to blame.

metro.co.uk/2024/07/09/bookseller-sacked-waterstones-row-author-trans-rights-21195631/

Here is the story.

She didn't threaten to actually tear up books from the stock but made a comment on social media about what she would like to do to an author's work. It's an issue about freedom of speech. I will attempt a link.

Over reacted? Presumably other staff and the manager must stand around and smile indulgently as she destroys the stock she doesn't approve of. Maybe invite customers in to tear up books they don't like. This is where I begin to think the world has gone mad - unless this woman has made a light hearted joke which has been taken seriously.

What, she works for Waterstones, has threatened to tear up books they stock, and is ‘in tears’ about being fired?
She sounds unhinged!