Because somebody's feelings were hurt? That's a useless argument to make against a professional who's basically effective at his job and very useful to society. The US is useless at civil rights these days precisely because it's all between "my feels" and straight out looting. Conditioned knee jerking all over the place.
So when you're in an ambulance having a medical emergency, you'd be OK with being asked a question like that? And having to worry about whether the answer might affect the quality of care you receive?
Not everything about "my feels" is without consequence. Try and be a human being. Have some empathy.
I agree with you. Unless it can be proven that he provided sub-par care because I was a foreigner, which I am pretty sure that he didn't, then there is absolutely no case for losing his job, or even be warned.
It's good to talk about our feelings and try to be considered to each other, but we should put facts and reason above feelings, which are not objective, otherwise we are doomed as society.
Having said that, if I would see my employee talk to a customer like this, I would definitely ask them to be more professional and discreet. Either here, in US, or back in my home country, where I think xenophobia is worse.
Companies only care about feelings because of profit, not because they actually care about the social issues. Hurting customer feelings = potential loss of customer = loss of profit.
> Unless it can be proven that he provided sub-par care because I was a foreigner,
If the patient has an adverse outcome and it comes out that a question like this was asked, you can bet someone will try to convince a jury that that was the case. You think the ambulance company wants to waste months or years in litigation?
At best, the paramedic was a moron asking a pointless question in an emergency situation. And alienating the patient, potentially worsening their condition. As an employer, I'd put them on a PIP immediately.
At worst they've opened up the company to a multi-million dollar suit.
It seems in this story the only person who had their feelings potentially get in the way of the job is the paramedic, no? There's no reason for them to be asking such questions while doing their job.
