You know I like to put my Lawyer’s cap on from time to time and to me this is a simple case.
What is the dress code at this Chicago Dealership. Was it made clear that no Packer gear could be worn? Was the employees told that management can dictate what type of ties you can wear? Is it clearly stated that any violations of the dress code can be something that you could be fired for?
Secondly is Illinois a state you can fire without cause? I know Missouri is, they can fire you just because your boss is in a bad mood.
Lets look at the facts of the case.
Stone, 34, proudly showed up for work at Webb Chevrolet in south suburban Oak Lawn wearing his green-and-yellow Packers necktie anyway.
Now he’s former car salesman John Stone.
The facts aren’t in dispute, only the appropriateness of the novelty neckwear.
“When I didn’t, he said, ‘You can leave, you’re fired.’ Does that sound fair to you?”
“I was just showing my love for my team and it was a nice, smart tie that matched my clothes — none of the customers minded: they had a sense of humor about it.”
Roberts agreed that no customers had complained about the tie when Stone was asked to remove it at 10:30 a.m., and that Stone was a good salesman who sold 14 cars last month.
But he said the tie was “salting the wounds” of Bears fans including himself and that it “makes it harder to sell cars in what’s already a competitive sales environment.”
But, said Roberts, context is everything. “If he’d worn the tie on Saturday I wouldn’t have minded.”
Roberts made crucial mistakes with his comments. He admits that Stone was a good worker, he acknowledges none of his customers were bothered and that if he worn the tie on Saturday it wouldn’t had been a problem.
That last statement is the one that might cost Roberts his job. You can’t say one thing is cool on Saturday and not on Monday unless it is specifically written in the dress code.
In general I don’t think a tie is something you want to get fired over. I am all about having principles, but when you have two kids, you have to think about your family more than Aaron Rodgers.
Mr. Roberts overreacted just like most fans. He wasn’t acting like a responsible boss, but a salty fan. You don’t fire one of your best salesmen over a tie.
In the end Stone will get paid and another job, Roberts will have to explain to his corporate bosses about all this attention and Jay Cutler still quit.
Life goes on.