Actions have consequences. I’ve been reading Henry Norr’s columns about Mac technology in various publications for probably a decade, but I have to side with his employers here. Mr. Norr wasn’t suspended because of his beliefs, he was suspended because his beliefs interfered with his job, because he lied, and because he asked his employer to endorse his beliefs by paying him for missed days of work.

Here he basically makes their case for them:

“On Wednesday, March 19, after the bombing of Baghdad began and I got home from a long protest march in the rain, I sent e-mail to my immediate supervisors informing them that I planned to get arrested the following morning and wouldn’t be in until I got out of jail.”

“Nevertheless, claiming sick pay for the day wasn’t a point of principle for me. My supervisor knew exactly why I was out of work that day.”

Protesting for a cause is not the same as serving in the National Guard, your employer is under no legal obligation to honor your ‘commitment’ and keep your job open when you return. If you cut work with the intention of being arrested, then claim that day as a sick day, you lied and should face the consequences. Having a job means going to work. Keeping a job means you protest on the weekends or after hours. At very least you do not claim a day missed because you willingly broke the law as a sick day and ask your employer to pay you. That’s essentially asking them to endorse your behavior and political agenda, and that’s just plain wrong. Additionally, although not explicitly stated, Mr. Norr apparently missed more than just Thursday, having spent Wednesday the 19th protesting in the rain.

Mr. Norr needs to step back and reevaluate these events. Regardless of his beliefs, in this situation he’s clearly in the wrong.