Would you fire an employee for calling a customer a Karen?

[Amerissis]

You go from 0 to 100 in one step? I'd evaluate and give a warning, if needed, not immediately fire someone. That's ridiculous. To me it would be "Depends on the situation, but most likely no", which isn't an option (biased much?), so I voted "no".

[Elegiac]

No. Employees shouldn't have to put up with nuisance customers, and if we're going to normalise a culture of treating staff like shit then customers need to learn to take what they dole out.

[Very Tired]

If they actually were a Karen? No. Their business is not worth an employee's sanity. Nor should a Karen be coddled. How the heck are they supposed to learn to correct their behavior if everyone lets them get their way?

[Tuor]

Well, english is not my native language, so why should i take any measure?

Sounds like a female name, that's it.

[Frolk]

The entire concept of a Karen is deeply sexist and shouldn't be tolerated in a professional workplace.

If said Karens respected workers like human beings this wouldt be an issue, but since some people are plain ol shitty people, they need to be called out for being shitty people, and if that is "sexist" then i dont know anymore.

[Nurasu]

If said Karens respected workers like human beings this wouldt be an issue, but since some people are plain ol shitty people, they need to be called out for being shitty people, and if that is "sexist" then i dont know anymore.

A man can ask for a manager and no one bats an eye, but if a woman does, she's a bitch. That's why there isn't a male version of 'Karen' that's caught on. Assertiveness is only a poor quality in women.

[ProphetFlume]

No

“The term has been criticised for being sexist, ageist, misogynistic, or seeking to control female behavior.”

This is also quite the (hilarious) hot take. Someone saying the term means any of those is pulling some whataboutisms.

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And the plural of Karen is Karens, no apostrophe necessary.

I think a herd of Karens is called a PTA meeting

[Nurasu]

No

“The term has been criticised for being sexist, ageist, misogynistic, or seeking to control female behavior.”

This is also quite the (hilarious) hot take. Someone saying the term means any of those is pulling some whataboutisms.

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I think a herd of Karens is called a PTA meeting

A group of dads would be commended for being concerned in their childrens' school goings-on, but women involved are overbearing and loud-mouthed. There's no whataboutism, it's sexist.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Generally speaking? I probably wouldn't fire them over a first offense. If it happened more than once...then yeah...I'd probably fire them.

[Yadryonych]

A group of dads would be commended for being concerned in their childrens' school goings-on, but women involved are overbearing and loud-mouthed. There's no whataboutism, it's sexist.

It's pretty much a racial slur for a white woman as well. Similar to "Tyrone"

[Elegiac]

A group of dads would be commended for being concerned in their childrens' school goings-on, but women involved are overbearing and loud-mouthed. There's no whataboutism, it's sexist.

A group of non-white or non-cis/hetero women being concerned with their children's goings-on at school would also not be termed Karens, so maybe it isn't actually a function of sexism/bigotry and more a function of being critical a set of behaviors being exhibited by a particular social group that's taken to weaponizing their relative privileges to make up for their relative social disadvantages. See: Karens calling the cops on people and acting like hysterical victims when questioned.

Karen is a criticism of privilege, not identity.

[Nurasu]

A group of non-white or non-cis/hetero women being concerned with their children's goings-on at school would also not be termed Karens, so maybe it isn't actually a function of sexism/bigotry and more a function of being critical a set of behaviors being exhibited by a particular social group that's taken to weaponizing their relative privileges to make up for their relative social disadvantages. See: Karens calling the cops on people.

I see it levied against lesbian women all the time, so I think you're close but still off base.

[Elegiac]

I see it levied against lesbian women all the time

r/thathappened

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

If they actually were a Karen? No. Their business is not worth an employ's sanity. Nor should a Karen be coddled. How the heck are they supposed to learn to correct their behavior if everyone lets them get their way?

Doesn't have to be one or the other though. An employee can politely tell a Karen to leave the store or refer the Karen to their manager. The employee should not instigate or escalate a confrontation. Dealing with difficult customers sucks...but it's part of the job sometimes.

[Grokk]

It's pretty much a racial slur for a white woman as well. Similar to "Tyrone"

This. That's the elephant in the corner of the room that no one here wants to bring up. Is it ok to call a bad male customer who happens to be black a Tyrone? If the answer is no then it's also not right to call a white woman a Karen. Period. If that statement bugs you you're being a hypocrite. If a customer is being abusive then yes they should be refused service and shown their way out the door in a professional manner. An employee shouldn't be throwing epithets, especially racially charged ones at customers.

I'd counsel the employee first and let them know it's their first and last warning. If it happened again then bye bye.

[Edge-]

Is it ok to call a bad male customer who happens to be black a Tyrone?

I mean, they're a Karen too. But if you're determined to use gender-specific names, the appropriate name for a dude acting like a Karen is actually a Terry - https://www.radio.com/alt1037dfw/blo...the-male-karen

I don't know why y'all think it's exclusive to white women or something, it ain't remotely exclusive to white women at all.

[Nurasu]

Karen is a criticism of privilege, not identity.

You're still assigning misogynistic characteristics to them that privileged white men are not subjected to. Misogyny in the name of social justice I guess?

[RobertoCarlos]

It's pretty much a racial slur for a white woman as well. Similar to "Tyrone"

Oh dont even go there.

Theres plenty videos/people given shit when dudes are acting up. A concerned father at a teachers meeting is the same as a drunken idiot fighting at his local sports team because someones kid tackled his kid "too hard" in his eyes? In fact both south park and family guy have made hilarious sketches on such behaviour.

Comparing racial slurs to people being douches is gross dude.

[StayTuned]

Imagine how the Karens of this world must feel right now. Someone getting fired for being called their name lol

[RobertoCarlos]

Imagine how the Karens of this world must feel right now. Someone getting fired for being called their name lol

Yeah it does kinda suck for nice people named Karen.

I know a few Karens and they're nice people. Its silly to label people anyway.

If someone is abusing you im gonna tell them to fuck off I dont care if im in uniform or not but im not gonna throw out a petty internet insult.

Thankfully my bosses are the same. In fact my manager is even ruder than I would ever be.