Worker dismissed for criticizing Hamas on company intranet

A sewage worker named Damon Joshua was fired from Severn Trent Water after he condemned the Oct 7 massacre in a company post. He referred to Hamas as “a group of violent and disgusting terrorists.” This post was removed by company managers due to complaints that it was derogatory and one-sided. Joshua's post expressed solidarity with Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist colleagues. He stated that he made the post after seeking input from management about commemorating the anniversary of the attacks, but received no response. Following internal complaints, he was suspended and later dismissed for gross misconduct. During his disciplinary hearing, it was noted that his comments caused "significant offence" to some staff, especially those with Muslim or Palestinian backgrounds. The company deemed the post to violate their standards of inclusivity. Joshua argued that he was distinguishing between Islamist terrorism and Islam. He expressed frustration over the reprimand, saying it was important to oppose terrorism. After being fired, he found a new job but described the experience as stressful. Joshua explained that he believed his dismissal was influenced by office-based staff who looked down on him. He criticized the growing pressure on free speech in the workplace and shared his concerns about expressing opinions in a public forum. The Free Speech Union supported him in his case, calling his dismissal an extreme example of cancel culture. Severn Trent Water stated that the case involved ongoing misuse of a work forum for personal opinions on sensitive topics.