Caultron wrote:I'm not at all sure that's true. I can tell you from experience that if you're a manager and talk to your HR department about firing someone, they make you jump through months of performance counseling and results montoring, and they will tell you terrible tales about lawsuits where that wasn't done.
I will admit I may have went too far in my generalization, for I do not know the laws of all 50 states. I have heard stories over the years coming from employers based in states of all types of "political views" that have fired employees for reasons that had nothing to do with job performance, downsizing etc. In other words, fired for beliefs they held, opinions, political views, and other matters.
In fact, even in California, there was a story of a taco stand who is owned by a transgender woman, she makes it a point to hire transgender employees for her stand. As they interviewed some of the transgender employees for the story, many had stories of being fired from previous employers (even in the L.A. area of California!) for being transgender.
I read on a legal weblog about a year ago that in New York, it is perfectly legal to fire someone over a political opinion. So if you live in New York, and your boss doesn't like that political sign you put in your yard, he can fire you for it.
I believe it was after the Charleston South Carolina church shooting, a man lost his job with his employer because a news camera captured him in the background of a white-pride rally.
In the last two scenarios, the employer is clearly terminating employment for reasons outside of work. Mostly I'd say, due to the issue of public perception of the business that has/had the employee on payroll. Of course a man who is simply wearing a skirt could not hardly be compared to a white supremacist, however it's still politics, and depending on the region you work in, firing a man in a skirt could very well be the "
locally political correct" thing to do. It may not fly on the west coast, but in the U.S. south... it's the thing to do. Simply put, having a skirt wearing man on payroll can cost business. Some customers may not mind being serviced by a man who's wearing a skirt, but given the looks and glares I get, I'd say quite a few would mind. They'll just go somewhere else to do their business. And that is their right, people have a right to shop wherever they want.
I can respect the tight rope that employers have to walk, especially in this highly charged political landscape we are in today. This is essentially why I avoid going into the stores I work for, even off the clock while wearing a skirt. I'll admit I was angry about it for a while, but since then I've come to understand the barrel I put the company I work for over. They never told me I couldn't visit the stores in a skirt, it was mentioned it may harm my shot at advancement, but that was it. I choose not to because they
didn't fire me that day. They could have, but they didn't. And out of respect for that, I keep this lifestyle away from their business.
I still have issues with certain people within the company, but I can not judge the whole company based on just a few prejudiced people. And do I think that it's right that the female employees can basically wear whatever they want while males are stuck in the same boring stuffy drab? No, of course not. But then again, that practice of women IS socially acceptable, so they don't have to worry about public blow back. Nobody is surprised to see a female deli clerk with piercings all over her face, tattoos, blue and green hair, tongue rings, ripped jeans, and crocs... that's just
girls being girls right?? But around here, a man better look like a man. Perhaps someday, before I die, the men's lib movement will catch up to the women's lib movement from 50 years ago. Or maybe not. I'll still be true to myself either way.
Teaser: I'm actually about 1/3 of the way through a very interesting book on "Coal Towns" I picked up at the antique store a few weeks ago. The area written about is centered right where I live, and upon reading it, I'm beginning to understand why the people are the way they are around here. Once I'm finished, I'll post to off topic my thoughts on it as I do believe it explains the unique issues I have with regards to how I dress.