You may or may not remember a bit of controversy that arose earlier this year involving the dismissal of Simon Negus, formerly second in command at Microsoft U.K., and some rather large portions of alcohol (if not, we"ll fill you in later). Sadly, such events are now a thing of the past, as Microsoft has updated its code of ethics to urge employees to moderate their drinking and behavior, The Telegraph reports.
Microsoft updated quarterly, the code of ethics now encourages staff to “enjoy themselves, but not too much.” Namely, Microsoft “expects event organizers and participants to exercise common sense and good judgment when alcoholic beverages are served at social events.”
This comes in response to allegations that arose back in September, but involved events much earlier. Microsoft U.K."s general manager, Simon Negus, was accused of making suggestive comments to female employees, culminating with him kissing a female coworker in front of other attendees of the MGX (Microsoft Global Exchange) conference in Atlanta, Georgia, back in 2009. The lawsuit that followed, originally reported, once again, by The Telegraph, contained some "interesting" descriptions of parties at Microsoft U.K., in addition to some of those funny British spellings that we love:
His evidence about the Microsoft Global Exchange conference paints a picture of wild behaviour, fuelled by “unlimited quantities” of vodka and Jagermeister. According to the court papers, one director was so “ridiculously drunk” he followed Emma Cloney, a manager, into the ladies’ lavatories. Another executive was “so p***** he could not remember a thing”.
“The alcohol made freely available in unlimited quantities included neat vodka which could be drunk from an ice fountain, and a very strong German liquor called Jagermeister,” the papers added. Mr Negus, who claims he left a more senior position at Dell because of assurances he would eventually succeed Mr Frazer at Microsoft, was ranked as the top performing “level 69” partner at the company worldwide, posing a potential threat to his superior.
Microsoft"s parties should also be a lot safer now. The new rules also state that “event sponsors should ensure that alternative forms of transportation are available,” and that “Any participant who becomes inebriated should be prevented from consuming alcoholic beverages and from operating a vehicle.”
It"s probably for the best, but what are the chances that there are a lot of very sad, disappointed people at Microsoft right now?