Addressing Boss as 'Sir'

[inquiringmind]

Jurisdiction

Ontario

A co-worker of mine has recently been promoted to a Manager, and is now demanding to be addressed as Sir at all times. Can he do this?

 

[cbg]

Let's put it this way.

The employer can overrule him and tell him he's being a jerk. But if the employer chooses not to do so, then there isn't any US law that will prohibit him from demanding that you call him "Sir" and writing you up, or even firing you, if you refuse.

Now, if you're in Ontario Canada and not in Ontario California, then he might be prohibited from firing you. But the rest still applies.

 

[adjusterjack]

A co-worker of mine has recently been promoted to a Manager, and is now demanding to be addressed as Sir at all times.

That's the kind of manager who is doomed to fail.

Meantime, go ahead and address him as Sir but do it often and emphasize it so it sounds like an epithet.

Come to attention and click your heels together every time you do it, accompanied by a NAZI salute. (OK, cbg, maybe not that extreme.)

But have a little fun with it. He'll eventually get over it, I hope.

 

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[cbg]

Come to attention and click your heels together every time you do it, accompanied by a NAZI salute. (OK, cbg, maybe not that extreme.)

In fact, I think that's a cute idea. As long as the poster is sure that he can't be fired for it (he could in the US but I suspect not in Canada) it might be a good way of solving the problem.

Okay, maybe not the Nazi salute.

 

[army judge]

A combination of sir, along with the Japanese custom of a subordinate bowing to a superior should eventually make your point to this budding, little tyrant.

It'll probably be noticed readily by upper management and bring appropriate inquiries to cause the little weasel to suddenly, mysteriously announce that no one need call him "sir" any longer.

Imagine the sight of four or five subordinates "sirring" and "bowing" before His Royal Jackass?