Ultimate fan or idiot?

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/news/story?id=6056888 

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sounds something more like discrimination and can see this coming from a place in chicago ... seeing some of their fans in action

A bit of both.

The car salesman comes out rather dense, wearing that tie under those circumstances. The owner is throwing tons of money to sponsor the Bears in some way. Some radio station, I think. Read it in another article somewhere.

On the other side, the owner's reaching horribly. People get fired so easily in the US. If he pulled that crap here, Stone would've had his job back the day after.

I posted my thoughts on it. Just another typical FIB for ya. The guy did it to honor his late grandmother for christ sakes. I am sure there are some lawyers dying to get this case. The free publicity and easy money.

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He got fired for nothing. Let the man show support for his team.

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This is about 20 minutes from me. Bears fans are hysterical and if this does go to court, plan on the Green Bay fan winning.

How the hell do you fire someone who has a family? Heartless bastard.

Also, the article reads he sold 14 cars last month...I am not a car dealer nor do I know what good or bad within a month but if I had to take a guess, the general manager just fired one of his better salesmen.

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Women have sued -- and won -- against employers who demanded that they wear skirts instead of pants. This isn't the same kind of situation. This man was wearing an item of clothing a good proportion of the customer base would find distasteful. He was given five chances to comply with a direct order, and he refused. Therefore, he was fired -- for cause -- for overt insubordination. I wouldn't be so sure he'll win that suit. You can't force a company to go against its best interest, and alienating its customer base certainly goes against its interest. A company is free to target whatever niche it pleases. If that niche is Bears fans, its employees either need to adapt or leave.

Of course, this suit would never make it to trial. It will be settled out of court. The dealership would be insane to waste that kind of money and risk that much negative PR.

That being said, do I think the employer overreacted? Probably. Do I think the employee is an idiot? Definitely.

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Important phrase to remember: "employee at will."

Outside of a few professions (e.g., ahem, tenured professors, certain negotiated union contracts), most people in USA are one. And it means the employer really doesn't need a reason to terminate.

You're protected more if the discrimination is based on a particular class of criteria (e.g., race, gender, sometimes age, religion, sometimes whistleblowers), but those classes are very few.

And dress alone is not one of them.

A lawsuit would likely be a PR disaster for the employer here. But my guess is that he'd win pretty easily.

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This is the true definition of sore loser. What a fake trying to give some business justification for firing this guy. Yesterday I saw Packers pride shown in businesses throughout the city, and I wore mine along with them. This is the only firing I have heard of.

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Jerry Roberts. (708) 576-5165. Call him up and say Go Pack Go.

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