Autistic Man Loses His Job Over YouTube Videos
September 7, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
An autistic man, Karl Tilcock, who also has two autistic children, lost his job at Foster’s brewer in Queensland (Australia) over YouTube videos made under the name AustDingo that offended his employer. The September 8th News.com.au describes Tilcock as an “online comedian” and notes that he has removed the offensive videos when contacted via letter by his employer. It’s contested whether the videos presented “untruths” about Foster’s and whether they were made while Tilcock was at work:
[Tilcock] denied any of the videos communicated untruths or were produced on his employer’s time.
“They never argued the facts on me, just that it didn’t make the company look good.
“I’ve had to fight a lot more (because of the autism) and take time off to care for my family and the company didn’t like it,” he said.
“I did my job.”
A Foster’s spokeswoman said Mr Tilcock was warned repeatedly about making videos in violation of company policy, and the backdrop of some videos showed he was at work when he produced them.
“We re-explained the rules to him after the initial warning,” she said.
“He was making disparaging remarks and defaming the company.”
Mr Tilcock admitted making a video ridiculing a manager.
“I’m struggling. It’s hard at the moment,” he said. “I think it’s gone past the point of getting my job back.”
Am also concerned about how Tilcock’s family and his autistic children are doing, without their father having a job?
Sounds like he should have thought about that before doing what he did and persisting in it, IF it is true that he was doing it on company time and IF he was “defaming” the company for which he worked.
Emily said:
Sounds like he should have thought about that before doing what he did and persisting in it, IF it is true that he was doing it on company time and IF he was “defaming” the company for which he worked.
Exactly. And Karl Tilcock’s being autistic does not enter into this. 99.99% of the time, if you work for a company, you do owe a measure of loyalty to it. I feel it is bad form to make videos mocking one’s employer while on the clock.
Will be curious to see if autism is cited in his defense.
Interesting contrast here, his work is claiming the background of the videos shows him at work and he protests he wasn’t on company time. So he doesn’t seem to be claiming to not have been at work, just that he was on break or clocked out, and their point is we don’t care this doesn’t belong on our property. Considering the number of workplaces where unauthorized photography or video taping is not allowed, I’d have to say I sided with the company on this unless they only enforced the no cameras at work policy against him. Which is always possible. And ridiculing managers in cyberspace is I think punishable enough. Disputes belong in the HR office, not out in public where the world can see them. At my work if I say something bad about another employee where anybody can hear it except through official managerial channels I’m in danger of being reprimanded if anyone around takes offense to what I say. If I said bad stuff all around the internet and it came back and caused a problem at the work place, that would definitely be a firing if things weren’t complied with.
Better headline, as with so much posted lately to various blogs:
Man Loses His Job Over YouTube Videos
Plain, simple, and to the point. I know people will tire of me saying it, but I have heard students use Asperger’s and “the spectrum” as excuses for all sort of behavior that cannot be excused that easily. I’ve taken to asking, “Were you ever warned previously about doing X?” If the answer is yes, as it seems to be in this case, then how many warning are enough?
(I’d argue teens might get a few more warnings, and I’m not including children or those with limited capacity.)
I can say a lot more about my university than many others, but if I were to complain about my boss I would expect to be relieved of my teaching duties the next semester. If I did so in a video? I’d probably be done teaching the next week.
Yes, this is a toughie. I am suprised that he kept posting videos even after explicit warnings – that is definitely not on. And autism is no excuse, I really think the same rules apply to everyone with regards to respecting the wishes of your employer. However, what I do see here is a person that has been trying to voice his problems, and for a while, without being heard by those that needed to take action, namely the employer. I see this pattern in myself too, especially thinking back to school days: there is a bully, he keeps poking and poking and eventually, you take (usually violent or explicit) action and you get punished, and the bully has a nice chuckle on the playground. When you grow up, and you have not learned how to deal with bullies (or those that you consider harmful or offending to your day to day life), you tend to struggle getting it communicated through in an appropriate and effective way. It seems to be easier to formulate it to yourself and hence, something like a youtube video (or a blog/letter etc) becomes your way of expression, rather than a direct confrontation with the party involved. So, this is what happened here. Yes, autism is no excuse for the eventual behaviour but if there was an understanding, autism-friendly channel with which he could communicate his concerns and grievances, perhaps it would not have come to this. Surely, when the employer warned him not to voice his workplace concerns on Youtube, perhaps it would have been useful if they took the time to listen to those concerns and provided him with an alternative to deal with it?
But, yes, bottom line: autism is not an excuse. But it is in principal a disability in social communication, and that was definitely at play here.
Well a story where I actually know someone. I’ve known this guy through Youtube for more than a year. I warned him also about making videos at work, which he WAS doing. He slopped it off and thought no one was watching. He’s a funny guy but some of his videos are offensive. I also don’t think he has as much social communication issues beyond your average soccer hooligan. His social communication as far as I have been able to tell from hours of his videos and talking to him offline, don’t seem to be his issue.
He is just a guy that likes to get drunk and make videos.
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=nWoq4dIXWLQ
In response to CS. If you know Karl through youtube for as you say ” more than a year” , that does not mean you KNOW him at all. I have been with him for over 13 yrs and I am still learning things about how autism affects him, so do not claim that your minimal interaction online is enough to warrant such a response.
How do you know than ANY videos were made at the company. I can tell you that ALL videos were made here in our house or back yard, or driving. He did include a 10sec clip of machinery that was in another video, but he is not denying that. He filmed that for our son, who cannot handle the sensory overload involved in going to visit daddy at work. Yes he didn’t think when he uploaded that but as I said , he did not deny it. Again I will re-iterate he WAS NOT making videos at work!!
You “don’t think” he has much social communications…Again you DON”T know him. He has quite alot of difficulties with social communication. What you are seeing is not face to face communication with people. I see this daily. I KNOW how much difficulty he has and how he struggles with communication at work and in the community. I KNOW what sensory difficulties he has. I KNOW how literal he takes things and I KNOW how literal he is. I also KNOW there is so much more that I do not have to justify to you regarding him being Autistic.
Are you saying that all the high functioning individuals online are not autistic bec. they can communicate well online? I know if I met half the individuals with Autism online, it would be entirely different meeting them face to face. Talking into a computer or via chat etc, is so different as to face to face communication. It is NOT the same social interaction so you can NOT presume it would be the same in real life.
As far as getting sacked is concerned…he is not complaining about that he had the videos up there, the facts are that he was asked to remove them and he did. He did not get any warnings as they stated. They sacked him 2 weeks after he took them down, by the requested date.
AS for the defamation concerns, that was regarding an issue from 2 yrs ago..the video was up for 1 yr at least. The company swept it under the carpet and it was quite a serious concern/ encounter with staff, who were clearly in the wrong as they should never had done what they did to anyone. The company told him they were finished with the issue and when he stated that he would take it outside the company, they replied with….you can do as you wish…. Now if they researched Autism, they would realise they were too general with that comment for him. He did what he wished with it. I have recordings of meetings within the company with Karl and management and there is a clear misunderstanding of Karls communication difficulties and as much as he asked them to help as he did not understand etc, they ignored and at other times, just told to ‘deal with it’
As for the getting drunk. There is not always beer in the bottles. They are PROPS, part of a CHARACTER he is playing.
Yes he enjoys making videos and if you were a friend or whatever you are claiming to be, you would know that this is an outlet for him!!!!
And I know all this as I am his wife!!!
Priscilla,
Glad you cleared that up.
I never called into question his diagnosis and never would and you would certainly know him better than I do, but the act didn’t seem like an act. Perhaps he should try his hand in the entertainment business because he’s very convincing.
@Priscilla,
thanks so much for writing here and for all the explanations—-hope things are ok with everything going on? many regards—–
Priscilla: thanks for posting!!! It is good to hear that in all of this, he does have someone at his side who cares and loves him. It must be tough, sitting in the middle of this with everyone having an opinion on your lives. All the best.
Excuse me CS, if I(Dingo) may borrow a moment of your time. You state that you have known me thru Ewe-Chube for over a year and you warned me about making vids at work.
Please refresh my memory on how this was done. Pm’s thru ewe-chube or via an IM program, if so which one of the many out did we use and also may I ask for you ewe-chube name and other “nicks” because the only C.S that springs to my mind is Lewis, the bloke you wrote all those top Narina books.
D-fer, D for Dingo
Not to shabby a msg for a “average soccer hooligan” , If I may say so my self.
If I did offend , I offer this —
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E86r5Moc1ww
As for CS, please bring anything you have to say about me to my channel, don’t try and make your self some huge hero here by saying you “talked” to me. The people here have enough going in life without you trying to big note ya self at my expense.
D-fer. D for ,did U think I’d find out what ya said??
Dingo
So many “educated” people here when you click their names to their websites. rgLovejoy, C.S(christschool, amazing what you can learn in 3 clicks) spring to mind. Still shows me no matter how many letters after ya name , you will still get injured jumping to conclusions.
To think I even have a video up explaining what happened and I admit to being in the wrong, but seems no-one is really to bothered to look for it. Seems easier to to judge my whole life on what you see on the internet. If thats the life on an NT, I am even prouder to be Autistic, I may be “inapprioate” but at least I know I can admit to it. Seems to me most NT’s cant admit to it when they are. NT’s seem to want to do a verbal re-arranging of what they said instead of admitting they are “inappropriate” at times.
Dingo
@Kristina
Actually no things aren’t going Ok, 3 out of 4 ppl in this house hold are ASD(2 high ,1 low with intellectually impairment “cilla wins Barnardos Aust Mother of the Year (2007 Qld) for putting up with us and everyone (I have comments from around the world)jumps on a “5 minute news article” and judges my whole life,. Including so called “experts” on here. Expertise because they “studied” it ,trying being ASD and raising kids with ASD gives you more expertise than you’d get at any school. That goes for not just me but anyone who is in that situation
Dingo
@Dingo, thank you for taking the time to comment here and, needless to say, hoping that things might improve—-are your children getting sufficient services and schooling? Needless to say, am hoping that things improve, and lots—-
My pleasure to post here , Kristina. Contrary to how the general public have judged me, I am not some bloke having a big sook about losing my job and using Autism as a defence.
but yes things as slowly improving.
I tell people I am ASD in case I say something “inappropriate” to them, use the wrong tone when replying or if I dont seem to look like I care.I say this not for sympathy but as the fact it is. The same as it’s a fact the sun rises in the east.
I also do it to show, not all Autistic people are like “RainMan”. Before anyone gets on my case about me making myself a poster person of Autism, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E86r5Moc1ww
As for the kids and school, we actually home school them. Trav’s schooling is a combination of grade 2 work and life skills.Tayla’s school work is set by Dist Education. The improvement in both has been great. Thats nothing against teachers but they DONT have that extra time (IMO) to spend with an ASD child. Which I know some teachers get upset within them selves at because they DO want to help
As for sufficient services— Is there ever enough when it comes to being a Carer or Parent?
Dingo