Flight Attendant Wins Case After Being Fired For Using Grindr

Flight Attendant Wins Case After Being Fired For Using Grindr

It's one thing having a nosey boss at work, it's another when a whole company knows that you were using Grindr, and allegedly got fired for it! This hookup app firing gets more complicated and crazy, if you can believe it. Management at Virgin Airlines Australia did some recon after one of their flight attendants requested a later flight back to base. The attendant, staying low-key by only revealing himself as DM, was staying at a Virgin-hosted hotel before being scheduled to work that day. Get this! His supervisor pulled hotel security cameras and checked his room key swipe card activity to determine that he had a male visitor early that morning. He was later fired for "professional misconduct." DM filed a complaint with Australia’s Fair Work Commission and won his case. But more facts have come out and from one gay to another, makes us raise an eyebrow and smile. DM has been crafty in his retaliation, but there is more to the story from both sides.

 

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While it may be shocking that a company would be so intrusive as to look up what hotel room guests we have or that we were on Grindr, Virgin Airlines did have some grounds to be concerned, although we aren't sure such measures would be taken to determine if a straight crewmember was hooking up. According to the airlines, DM had shown up to work hungover a few times. He told another coworker that he felt "dusty," which he later defined as just "tired." Sure, girl, sure. Virgin said that the primary reason he was fired was because there was proof that he consumed alcohol at a company Christmas party at least 7 1/2 hours before he worked on a red eye. Virgin has a rule, a no zero-tolerance rule, that employees cannot consume any alcohol for an 8-hour period before work. Coworkers alleged that he appeared intoxicated during his shift. DM actually contacted the company and admitted that he had violated that rule. He's a party girl! This incident is separate from the Grindr issue.

DM defended his Grindr use and hookup because of an incident the day prior. A passenger had a stroke and the attendant helped him, during the interaction the passenger had an accident and peed on him. According to DM, the ordeal stressed him out and he couldn't sleep. He was scheduled to sit on a returning flight at 8:30 am on call, meaning he would be flying as a passenger but be available to help out if the crew needed him. Due to his lack of sleep, he logged on to Grindr around 4:30 am and entertained a gentleman caller. His defense was that having a physical interaction and release would help him go to sleep and be ok to fly at a later time. This defense held up with the Fair Work Commission and DM was deemed to have the right to access to provide for his mental and physical health. Gurlll, that's a stretch! LOL. He is reinstated to go back to work, Virgin has a period of time to appeal. Can you imagine going back to work and being known as the guy who got fired for fucking?

 

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Here's the thing, it really isn't about his Grindr use, even though that was part of the firing. Number one, he violated the no-drinking rules. Period. Now, it is Virgin's fault for not dismissing him at the time. But the continued reports of him allegedly showing up to work hungover is another issue. Then calling out late to hookup, while we've all done it, he technically is missing his job. What say you? Is his Grindr defense valid?

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