Liberal Parenting

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Worker: I was fired for wearing ‘God’ button

Quote from Pledge of Allegiance; Home Depot says he violated dress code

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A former cashier for The Home Depot who has been wearing a "One nation under God" button on his work apron for more than a year has been fired, he says because of the religious reference. The company claims that expressing such personal beliefs is simply not allowed.

"I've worn it for well over a year and I support my country and God," Trevor Keezer said Tuesday. "I was just doing what I think every American should do, just love my country."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33505354/ns/business-local_business/

I have a lot of questions about the article.  I am not well acquainted with HD's dress code but it makes sense that they ban all buttons.  I've always had a dress code at my jobs - even now! - and it was always made clear that if an employee is out of compliance they can be terminated.  Was he unaware that he was violating dress code?  Was he warned?  Written up?  My company has a very strict internal disciplinary structure - 2 formal warnings, 2 formal written complaints and then firing.  If he was warned and written up he was out of compliance and insubordinate.  A corporation does have the right to enforce internal policies - if he was unhappy with the dress code he had other options (wear his button on his own time, petition to keep his button, etc.).  I am not happy that we aren't allowed to wear flip flops at my work - but it is in our dress code! 

He said he wore it for a year before he got in trouble - which makes me wonder, why did they wait to enforce it?  Did he "get lucky" and no one noticed?  Did someone complain?  Did they complain because they were offended or, more likely, because they felt it was unfair the dress code was not being fairly enforced - he was allowed to wear HIS button but no one else was?  Why did he refuse to wear the company approved button instead?  Were there other issues going on (which I suspect) and the company fired him over the one thing that they could definitively prove - insubordination (disregard for company dress code policy)?  I know at my work people have been fired for things HR could easily show - excessive call offs - when there were many other personal (but not easily proven) issues going on as well (lack of teamwork, laziness, poor attitude, etc). 

I understand that religion is a protected class which is why they are suing for discrimination on religious grounds but it seems disingenuous to me - it is a quote from the pledge of allegiance, not a statement of faith.  It seems odd that a company would ban that - but the ban on ALL buttons / slogans does seem sensible. 

So, that is my long winded way of saying - I need more information LOL.

"He said he wore it for a year before he got in trouble - which makes me wonder, why did they wait to enforce it?"

That is exactly what I was thinking!

I definitely think there is more to this story than he is sharing!

Maybe he simply had a new boss who was more strict - that could happen.  Or it could be any number of things! It just seems very odd that he suddenly got in trouble - and was fired! - with no extenuating circumstances.  And it seems odd too that HD chose to use this particular button (the pledge of allegiance?!) to take a stand - it seems they might get quite a bit of negative backlash over it. 

There's got to be more to the story.

1) These are the last two paragraphs on the issue from the Associated Press:

"But we're not talking about religious displays here," he said. "This sounds more like a political message ... Wearing a button of that sort would not easily be described as a traditional form of religious expression like wearing a cross or wearing a yarmulke.

"Home Depot is under no legal obligation to allow its employees to use their work time and their work clothing to express their personal political messages," he added.

2) One of the Home Depot founders made some inflammatory comments about people who don't contribute to the Republican party.

3) According to Snopes there was a false allegation last year that that Home Depot had banned Christmas.

4) The guy was offered a company approved "United We Stand" button which he denied.

Interesting to see how this plays out.