Home Depot Bigotry

[lkjflsd]

Fired for a button?

http://www.breitbart.tv/man-fired-from-home-d...

[Tough]

That is why he is working at home depot. He is more interested in his political view, however right, then probably doing what he was paid to do aka work.

[Silk_the_Absent1]

Yes, dress codes are just that, dress codes, and not "dress suggestions." They offered him an out, with a different button, which he refused. They didn't need to even offer him the other one, but they did.

As an employee, it is his job to know and understand the company's rules and policies. He chose to ignore them, and he paid for it.

[Forrest]

He must not have wanted the job. I'm sorry but an employer needs to have dress rules for employees and if you can't obey them get a different job.

[CornDaddy]

People have choices, abide by the rules or hit the road. That is the right of employers.

[Lobo Viejo]

According to Home Depot, "The company’s dress code policy states that we do not allow non-company buttons, regardless of their message or content."

This is a wise dress code provision, since buttons can be distracting and offensive especially if they make a political or religious statement. Home Depot was entirely within its right as an employer to establish and enforce this dress code.

The employee in this case was insubordinate and got what he deserved.

[Libertarian]

As ardent defender of civil liberties as I am, I agree with the posters on here. An employer has a right to determine a dress code and historically, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission does not intervene in issues involving dress codes, i.e. like the wearing of a button on one's work-clothes or uniform. In today's tough economy especially, businesses want to hang on to every customer they possibly can. It would not do to antagonize potential or current customers by allowing employees to express ANY political, religious, philosophical, etc., opinions in the work place, especially constantly in the form of a "button".

[skinwalker]

It is religious expression when it comes from the "Pledge of Allegiance" How about if it is from our printed money ("In God We Trust")......

[BarbMoore]

It wasn't a button, it was "flair".

;P

[Bluntly Spoken]

Libertarian wrote:

As ardent defender of civil liberties as I am, I agree with the posters on here. An employer has a right to determine a dress code and historically, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission does not intervene in issues involving dress codes, i.e. like the wearing of a button on one's work-clothes or uniform. In today's tough economy especially, businesses want to hang on to every customer they possibly can. It would not do to antagonize potential or current customers by allowing employees to express ANY political, religious, philosophical, etc., opinions in the work place, especially constantly in the form of a "button".

Let's take what you said here and apply it to that Whitten guy who insist his Spanish speaking employee's speak English on the job.

Would you say that he has a right to insist they speak English while working or being around the guest?

Sounds like the same basic issue, what an employer is allowed to require of his paid employees.

[Whisky River Crabb]

Bluntly Spoken wrote:

<quoted text>
Let's take what you said here and apply it to that Whitten guy who insist his Spanish speaking employee's speak English on the job.
Would you say that he has a right to insist they speak English while working or being around the guest?
Sounds like the same basic issue, what an employer is allowed to require of his paid employees.

lol...You stold my thunder Blunt, I was thinking the same thing. Everyone here is defending an employer in Florida for firing someone wearing a button supporting our country but an employer in New Mexico cannot reguire the people he hires to speak English in the workplace. Sounds kind of hypocritical to me.

And before all of you start jumping on me, or Bluntly Spoken, remember this: I was raised just north of Taos, I have a lot of family living in the area, and I comprende Espanol pretty good myself. Most of us native born from the area are bi-lingual but we use the language appropiate for the situation.

Sometimes I have to use Spanish where I work because some of our customers do not understand English and it is no big deal to my boss, he understands that I am just trying to help the customer. But my co-workers and I do not speak it in front of him since he is from South Africa and does not comprende at all<G>, we use the language he understands, which is English. Which is the only language about 95% of our customers understand too.

It's all a matter of courtesy people. I don't care if you speak Spanish, German, French or Swahili, when dealing with the public and your employer in the workplace, respect and courtesy demands that you use English. It is the language of our country, the United States of America. The added feather in your cap is if you understand Spanish, German, French or Swahili, your boss can call on you to help a customer in your place of employment. When that happens you hit them up for a raise!

[Bluntly Spoken]

Whisky River Crabb wrote:

<quoted text>
lol...You stold my thunder Blunt, I was thinking the same thing. Everyone here is defending an employer in Florida for firing someone wearing a button supporting our country but an employer in New Mexico cannot reguire the people he hires to speak English in the workplace. Sounds kind of hypocritical to me.
And before all of you start jumping on me, or Bluntly Spoken, remember this: I was raised just north of Taos, I have a lot of family living in the area, and I comprende Espanol pretty good myself. Most of us native born from the area are bi-lingual but we use the language appropiate for the situation.
Sometimes I have to use Spanish where I work because some of our customers do not understand English and it is no big deal to my boss, he understands that I am just trying to help the customer. But my co-workers and I do not speak it in front of him since he is from South Africa and does not comprende at all<G>, we use the language he understands, which is English. Which is the only language about 95% of our customers understand too.
It's all a matter of courtesy people. I don't care if you speak Spanish, German, French or Swahili, when dealing with the public and your employer in the workplace, respect and courtesy demands that you use English. It is the language of our country, the United States of America. The added feather in your cap is if you understand Spanish, German, French or Swahili, your boss can call on you to help a customer in your place of employment. When that happens you hit them up for a raise!

Very well said WRC.

Oh and sorry I stole your thoughts. LOL

[JosephOne]

Silk_the_Absent1 wrote:

Yes, dress codes are just that, dress codes, and not "dress suggestions." They offered him an out, with a different button, which he refused. They didn't need to even offer him the other one, but they did.
As an employee, it is his job to know and understand the company's rules and policies. He chose to ignore them, and he paid for it.

If other buttons are allowed, then a religious button must be allowed. It IS work place discrimination here and EEOC rules and other work place rules are such that no discrimination can be shown toward religious faith. If any other button can be worn, then this IS discrimination. If a christian business allowed buttons but said no buttons affirming same-sex marriage this would be wrong too. Either have all buttons allowed or not buttons allowed. These are the work place rules. Home Depot loses.

[JosephOne]

Lobo Viejo wrote:

According to Home Depot, "The company’s dress code policy states that we do not allow non-company buttons, regardless of their message or content."
This is a wise dress code provision, since buttons can be distracting and offensive especially if they make a political or religious statement. Home Depot was entirely within its right as an employer to establish and enforce this dress code.
The employee in this case was insubordinate and got what he deserved.

If this is what the dress code is, it excludes every button that not affiliated with the store, then...I wouldn't be so crass about it but Home Depot was right and the employee was wrong. I agree with you.

[NMresident]

A company or business can set policies and if one doesn't like it then don't work there, don't shop or don't stay there (in the case of the Taos motel. The workplace is not for individual expression, your there to do a job.

[JosephOne]

NMresident wrote:

A company or business can set policies and if one doesn't like it then don't work there, don't shop or don't stay there (in the case of the Taos motel. The workplace is not for individual expression, your there to do a job.

Yes they can but they cannot base those policies solely against religious expression...this would be discrimination. The policies must be neutral either allowing no expression other than business expression or every kind of expression. Discrimination is not aloud otherwise.

[Silk_the_Absent1]

JosephOne wrote:

Yes they can but they cannot base those policies solely against religious expression...this would be discrimination. The policies must be neutral either allowing no expression other than business expression or every kind of expression. Discrimination is not aloud otherwise.

They weren't. Their policy is NO buttons other than company-supplied buttons. The one they offered him was company supplied, which he turned down. The only thing I'd like to see added to his termination is a note that says he quit, since that is effectively what he did; so that he cannot claim unemployment benefits.

[JosephOne]

Silk_the_Absent1 wrote:

<quoted text>
They weren't. Their policy is NO buttons other than company-supplied buttons. The one they offered him was company supplied, which he turned down. The only thing I'd like to see added to his termination is a note that says he quit, since that is effectively what he did; so that he cannot claim unemployment benefits.

I saw Lobo's quote of Home Depot's policy. I agree with you and Home Depot.

[Whisky River Crabb]

JosephOne wrote:

<quoted text>
If other buttons are allowed, then a religious button must be allowed. It IS work place discrimination here and EEOC rules and other work place rules are such that no discrimination can be shown toward religious faith. If any other button can be worn, then this IS discrimination. If a christian business allowed buttons but said no buttons affirming same-sex marriage this would be wrong too. Either have all buttons allowed or not buttons allowed. These are the work place rules. Home Depot loses.

Good afternoon Joseph, how you today.

Look at the button again Joe, it is NOT a religious pin, it is a patriotic pin. One nation, under God, Indivisible, an excerpt from our Pledge of Allegiance and nothing more. If the manager of that partucular Home Despot store thinks being patriotic and believing in America is bad for business then he needs to go back to where ever he came from. His sorry arseholly is not welcome in MY country.

[Whisky River Crabb]

JosephOne wrote:

<quoted text>
If other buttons are allowed, then a religious button must be allowed. It IS work place discrimination here and EEOC rules and other work place rules are such that no discrimination can be shown toward religious faith. If any other button can be worn, then this IS discrimination. If a christian business allowed buttons but said no buttons affirming same-sex marriage this would be wrong too. Either have all buttons allowed or not buttons allowed. These are the work place rules. Home Depot loses.

I did forget to add this to my last post. If Home Despot does not allow patriotic pins to be worn in the store they have seen the last of my money. I will buy what lumber or other home improvement supplies I need somewhere else.

I have not been in a Target store in years because they will not allow the Salvation Army to have bell-ringers in front of their stores. They are there for 2 or 3 weeks before Christmas so they can collect what money they can to help the needy during the most holy holiday we celebrate so what is the harm? But no, it's "company policy" and that is their choice. It is also my choice to never set foot into one of their stores again.