Firing contest by boss leads employees to quit

[Strelnikov_]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20111002/NEWS/310020058/Firing-contest-by-boss-leads-employees-to-quit?odyssey=tab

A Bettendorf businessman, branded as the “boss from hell” by some of his employees, offered prizes to workers who could predict which of them would next be fired.

. . .

"To win our game, write on a piece of paper the name of the next cashier you believe will be fired. Write their name , today’s date, today’s time, and your name. Seal it in an envelope and give it to the manager to put in my envelope.

“Here’s how the game will work: We are doubling our secret-shopper efforts, and your store will be visited during the day and at night several times a week. Secret shoppers will be looking for cashiers wearing a hat, talking on a cell phone, not wearing a QC Mart shirt, having someone hanging around/behind the counter, and/or a personal car parked by the pumps after 7 p.m., among other things.

. . .

“And no fair picking Mike Miller from (the Rockingham Road store). He was fired at around 11:30 a.m. today for wearing a hat and talking on his cell phone. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!” "

The Job Creators are just . . so . . human.

[xchrom]

1. ...

:mad:

[BeyondGeography]

2. The recession has empowered sadistic assholes in workplaces everywhere

Not pretty.

[roguevalley]

20. a study said that psychos become management. this store needs

boycotting

[TeeYiYi]

34. So true. :( ...nt

TYY

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. gross.

[liberal N proud]

4. What a sick thing to do to people.

[Blue_Tires]

36. The sad part is if the jackpot was larger, the employees would have been

tripping over themselves to rat each other out (or even worse, just fabricate shit) and collect...Maybe that was the boss's plan from the start...

[GiveMeFreedom]

5. Fuck this guy

I would kick his ass, because I can.

[Initech]

11. Yeah seriously!

[Occulus]

6. I have no words.

Good to see the NLRB agreed this was a hostile environment, though. At least the employee got the unemployment, but I'm wondering just how badly exposed this makes this horrible boss to a civil suit.

Very badly, I would hope.

[cleanhippie]

7. While his methods can certainly use some improvement...

Wasting company time and violating company policies ARE grounds for termination, no?

[Occulus]

8. Doesn't matter in this case n/t

[cleanhippie]

14. What doesn't matter?

[lame54]

35. "Wasting company time"...

is a subjective call

[cleanhippie]

39. Perhaps, but if you are not doing the task you were hired to do...

thats wasting company time.

Talking on one's personal cell phone, web surfing, chatting with friends, etc., are all examples of wasting company time, no?

[Uben]

9. Guess which businessman will get the snot kicked out of him.....

...by a disgruntled employee and get a dollar! Yes, you can be a dollaraire if you can correctly guess which boss will get the snot kicked out of him for hosting a contest to see which employee will get fired next!

DON'T WAIT!!!!!! ENTER TODAY!!

[Celebration]

10. Great ending to the story!

Sometimes there is justice.

[dems_rightnow]

12. Wow, Just wow.

I am amazed. Perhaps I shouldn't be, but I am.

[lame54]

13. They blew it-Why did they quit?...

They should have stayed on the clock and got paid to do nothing but give crappy service

they should have dared them to fire them all

then collect unemployment - by quitting they can't

[Leftist Agitator]

18. "...by quitting they can't "

If the conditions at the place of employment are so hostile that a reasonable employee would feel that they had no choice but to quit, when they do quit, it is the same (legally speaking) as if they had been fired without cause, thus they are able to collect unemployment.

For more information, look up "constructive discharge".

[lame54]

22. it can still be challenged...

and that could take some time

meanwhile - no paycheck

[NashVegas]

30. It's called a Spine

Get one.

[lame54]

32. I must have left mine on the picket line

[Hosnon]

26. Right. You can't force an employee to quit by making working conditions unacceptable.

And not pay unemployment.

[lame54]

31. yes they can...

that's like saying a cop can't pull you over with no reasonable cause

yes they can

[Hosnon]

41. Read what was in my post. They can't without legally being required to pay unemployment. nt.

[dems_rightnow]

19. They can, and are.

[lame54]

23. ?

[Gormy Cuss]

37. At the link:

When Shelsky applied for unemployment benefits, Ernst challenged the claim, saying she had resigned voluntarily....

Shelsky testified that she and her colleagues quit due to the hostile work environment created by the contest....

Administrative Law Judge Susan D. Ackerman sided with the workers, calling the contest “egregious and deplorable.” Shelsky was awarded unemployment benefits.

[lame54]

38. nice...

I still think it would be fun to get every employee to challenge the employer

it didn't say how long the process lasted

[tammywammy]

40. The memo was sent in March, so 6 months. n/t

[donheld]

43. If you read the article you'd see they DID collect unemployment.

[pacalo]

15. Everyone should have stopped what they were doing, say "We who are about to be fired salute you",

then get on their cell phones to call the media.

[Brigid]

21. Me likey.

:evilgrin:

[Heywood J]

16. Is there anything stopping those who are gone from picketing his stores? (NT)

[TomClash]

17. In the day . . .

. . . somebody would be taught a lesson they would never forget.

[otohara]

24. Bravo Judge

I had a situation where my boss was abusive and when I walked out, he tried to deny me unemployment. The unemployment judge said "any reasonable individual would feel their physical safety was at risk".

[NYC Liberal]

25. Initially I thought "Talking on your cell phone? Having friends hanging out behind the counter?

Seems reasonable to fire someone over that."

Then I realized any boss that is enough of an asshole to set up this kind of "contest" HAS to be doing much worse.

[ck4829]

28. Reinforced by the fact that secret shoppers are doing the snooping

Why isn't HE making sure his employees are doing their jobs?

[ck4829]

27. Disgusting. K&R.

[Liberal_in_LA]

29. omg. Glad this a**hole is getting lots of publicity for his behavior

[Blue_Tires]

33. Brilliant...One story sums up PERFECTLY of why working in this country

is mired in suckitude...

Thanks to the benevolent boss who illustrates the sadistic psychopathology that allows people like him to shit on their underlings who just have to sit there and take it...This is one of the unspoked reasons why there is a 99 percent march...And these are the jobs we have to grovel and beg just to get hired for!

What has happened to our collective mindset? Employees have shot up their workplaces for much lesser humiliation than this (and NO, I'm not saying someone should have shot the place up; but I would have understood)

[Initech]

42. And the prize was...? $10. Ten fucking dollars. What a dipshit.

[Blue_Tires]

44. Monday kick

[uncle ray]

45. i'm gonna guess there aren't even any secret shoppers.

i'd bet the asshole was counting on the "contest entries" to serve as the tips he needed on who to fire.

[mimitabby]

46. a ten dollar prize!! what an ass

[WI_DEM]

47. hopefully any fair minded person would boycott any business owned by that prick