What HR can learn from the Roseanne racism scandal

American comedian Roseanne Barr has had her eponymous sitcom cancelled after she tweeted that one of former US president Obama’s advisors was an “ape”.

Barr wrote on the social media site that Valerie Jarrett was the result of the "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes” having a baby. However, she then backtracked with an apology and claimed the tweet was a result of a sedative called Ambien.

However, the network behind Roseanne, decided to pull the plug on the show as a result of her racism, with company President Channing Dungey saying the tweet was "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values."

Some fans have asked whether it is fair for ABC to ditch Barr for comments she made on her personal account – but in the UK there is precedent for firing an employee based on things they have said online outside of work hours.