An Italian man working as a forklift operator in New Zealand has become something of a national celebrity after he was fired for being too fresh with his female boss.
Luca Cicioni was hired as a temp worker to operate a forklift at Gerard Roofs, in Auckland. When he showed up to work on his first day, he greeted the first person he saw by saying, “Hi, darling, can you help me?”
Unfortunately, that person was the female manager who had hired Cicioni, who became very upset by the overly familiar way he greeted her. He was let go the following day, supposedly on the grounds that his English was not good enough,
From Unemployed to National Celebrity
But the story doesn’t end there. Word of Cicioni’s firing became national news in New Zealand when a story about the incident appeared in the national newspaper, the New Zealand Herald.
Cicioni told the newspaper that he wasn’t trying to be rude and that he was surprised by how angry the supervisor became. He said perhaps his true meaning had become lost in translation, but he wished that the woman had simply explained that although such greetings may be common in Italy, hey weren’t appropriate in New Zealand.
Taking His Side
Many readers were outraged that Cicioni lost his job as a forklift operator as a result of the misunderstanding. He was even offered a new job a few days after the firing by an Auckland pizza restaurant.
Gina’s Italian Kitchen owner Alessandro Fantoni offered to let Cicioni work in his restaurant as a server, a position the forklift operator accepted.
Now people from all over New Zealand are reportedly flocking to the business in order to meet Cicioni, who has become something of a cult hero among Kiwis, who are referring to him as the “Hi Darling Guy”.
Meanwhile, the regional general manager for the roofing company tried to spin the incident by issuing a statement emphasizing that the company doesn’t discriminate against employees based on their nationality or culture, but that the company has “very clear” expectations regarding workplace standards.
A Working Holiday
Cicioni and his girlfriend, have been traveling throughout New Zealand on a working holiday, taking temporary jobs to pay for their travel expenses. He said he is enjoying interacting with the public in his new position, even though he has never worked as a server before.
Cicioni is an experienced forklift operator, having owned and operated his own lift truck in his hometown of Perugia, Italy, just north of Rome.
The whole incident prompted the newspaper to publish a list of “do’s and don’ts” regarding workplace behavior:
- Don’t be too vocal on any job until you’ve proven yourself to be a good worker
- Do smile and extend a handshake
- Don’t be too forward of friendly until you have established a more solid working relationship
- Do keep calm when conversing with your colleagues and don’t let your emotions get the best of you.
- And, finally, don’t use pet names … particular not for your boss!