Basejumper.com - archive

well I returned to work for 2 days this week after 3+ months off as I really cant afford to live on Statutory Sick Pay.

I had a meeting with one of the directors about the fact I may require alot more time off due to some complications and further surgery and the discussion moved onto the acceptance of BASE with my company.

Apart from the fact of being told I have a 50/50 chance that I will be sacked with more time off sick (and its in my contract to say after 13 weeks this can be done) I was blatently told "if you BASE jump again, you will not have a job with us" - asking about skydiving they said it may have the same conclusion.

The director tried to go into the arguement about the risk of BASE compared to other sports, and I had to just stop the conversation and tell him I could debate for hours about this subject and the approach the company are taking towards me. It was not worth doing.

I know that within business you dont want "percieved" high risk........ I know that after 3+ months off I left them in shit and in the end my director is thinking about his situation........... I know its not personal.....

I have learnt my lesson that its better not to let people know know what I do........ even if you are friends with them, but if your actions may have an impact on them, then you may have to reconsider what you say to them.

I know people have issues with BASE and their jobs due other issues........ but I am curious if anyone has other issues like me where the corporate world where you would otherwise be a fundamental part of the workings of a department / company are actually disregarded due to the fact of your "hobby"

I never boasted, I never spoke to other people in the company about what I did, but I felt my boss was someone who I could tell about what I do, & they were ok with it until it went wrong.........

Let this be a warning, although you maybe a person that they deem valuable, they may actually turn round and deem your sport unacceptable to their corporate goals....

aint it a fucking shit!!!

anyway enough rant from me....... apologies......... but it pissed me off........

After my input into your post about BASE and the law I made some posts on legal sites similar to this one seeking wide legal input from practitioners about BASE and possible legal complications. On one of the sites I got a response from a little oik that essentially said you should stop doing stupid things and expecting others to pay for them.

Below is my response to him:

By the way - my conclusion was that nothing about BASE itself is illegal, nothing about tresspass is illegal (unless you're carrying a firearm, threatening violence, trying to stop a lawful activity or on a railway).

I have no idea if your employers are alowed to create a contract that prevent you from carrying out "illegal" acts, but I am sure BASE is not "illegal"... whether or not a Judge/Chairman of a Tribunal would take a pragmatic approach to the term "illegal" could be a sticking point mind as BASE often involves civil wrongs.

My advice to you is that if your employer sacks you, go see a solicitor and file a claim for wrongful dismissal. I've done little in the way of employment law before but I am certain you cannot be sacked for your lawful hobby. If you break youself again, make it a skydiving incident and challenge your employer to sack you over it. If it's BASE there is the possability that they could claim you were bringing the company into disrepute (like it or not BASE is not popular thing with the authorities). I presume it's a sackable offence - I know I can be dis-bared for such transgretions. You could well be in for a significant payout if they do.

Another tac could be to get a solicitor to write to your employer warning them that this would be your course of action should they sack you. Perhaps challenge them to point to statutory of case authority for their assertion that a) BASE is illegal and b) that they are legally permitted to fire you for legal hobbies. No doubt this will have an effect on your relationship with your employers, but it certainly make them think very hard before fireing you for any reason.

i thank you for your posts..........

what are the major differences in law between EU and the USA regarding BASE? I assume it is more accepted as a whole?

In general, base is regarded as closer to paragliding than parachuting. The legal stuff around getting several authorizations for a jump doesn't apply. At least until somebody at the local FAA really think about it...

This apply mostly to E jumps. Of course, we have the same problems in national parks ( except our guards got no guns...).

Jumps are forbidden in city areas, due to overflight regulation ( that means you can jump, but you shouldn't fly your canopy...).

And last, no trespassing...

you US guys think that EU BASE is open and wide, but in the end we have to sneak around and make our mid-week jumps like the rest of you........

each country is different, but in the UK we sneak around and jump some gnarly shit mid-week!

i were told the same by my boss,what i basicly told him were(i know im better insurred than you were at that point),that the day he pays for my freetime,i will considder if i would stay in his compagny and live by thouse rules but until then he has nothing to do about my freetime and i use it the way i want.

Im really sure that my union here in DK would like to try a case like that in case it should go that far.However in DK you can be fired after 120days off work(a year),whith out any reasson what so ever,so that is to be considdered in case you get injuryed.

As i know were you jumped from,i would say dont try the case if the say its illegal,it will nail you down for sure(they will simply ask the owner if you were allowed there).that would burn your object and get you off work..

>>Absolutely right. Unless you signed a moral terpitude agreement what you do on your own time is none of the company's business. I think the way they'll try and get you is not being able to perform your duties due a non-work related injury. Unless you're protected by short or long term disablility insurance they have ammunition. Use you lawyer!