How legal Is This

[Ming]

In your situation, we are talking speific policies established by the company (which is their right to establish)... as you have said, it doesn't specifically say the smell of smoke, and some people are just claiming it's implied and trying to harass you. In your case, you should be able to go to HR and rat out the trouble makers since they are the ones causing problem.

But if they had a policy that you can't smell like smoke, I would side with the company. If my company set such a policy, I would have to look for another company to grant my skills to.

[Mrs. Tuberski]

ming that wasnt my thought entirely. My husband smokes and i cant get that out of my clothes if i live with him. How does that go into play when these folks are acting like this. I say if odors are gonna be a bother then we must all stop using deodrant colognes and stuff. this way we all go in with normal bo and see how that goes over.
I also mentioned the color of shirt you are wearing what about that? or the fact the supervisor says i dont like ur attitude ur fired even though u have a good one whtas up? how do u handle that

[Mrs. Tuberski]

I was doing some checking and the right to work states versus the non ones are all bout the ability to have a union. This is all about unionization. far as i know there is no known union for medical personal in texas

[Imran Siddiqui]

Ming, JRabbit

Employers don't have to hire you. We do put a lot of regulations and reporting requirements on businesses. They should at least be able to decide who works for them.

[Terra Nullius]

Originally posted by Ming
If you don't like working for somebody else, start your own business... and then see whether you think you should have rigths or not

Been there, done that.

Now sit back and watch. Marvel in amazement as my opinion suddenly becomes relevant and meaningful. Mere employees don't have a right to an opinion. They're clearly too thick to comprehend the issues.

Sure, businesses need mechanisms for getting rid of workers when necessary. Doesn't mean they should be allowed to pillage their way through the whole social landscape.

[Ming]

I never said employees don't have a right to an opinion... But some people here think only they should have rights, not others

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
That's a lovely world you're living in, Provost.

I gave my company 20 years of my life. They gave me a good career. The CEO told me there "would always be a place" for me in the organization. That was in 2000, when I made Director.

March 9, 2004, I was unceremoniously out on my butt. Total surprise. They had "reorganized" and my job suddenly carried the requirement of being a native Spanish speaker. They offered me a "lovely parting gifts" package in exchange for signing off on a "hold harmless" agreement -- which I took to a lawyer and renegotiated before signing.

Bottom line? I was 50-something and expensive and could be replaced by two Spanish-speaking 20-somethings happy to get a gig with this firm.

It was a business decision on their part. I was hurt, but you get over these things. And why would I want to work for a company like that?

Corporations are in the business of making money, not providing jobs. That's just a collateral benefit of most business models. And people don't have a "right to work." They have a responsibility to pull their own weight.

I think you ought to welcome yourself to the real world too...there are two parties involved in this argument, and all I am saying that unless there is good reason for dismissal, eg, incompetence, redundancy, it shouldn't be that simple to lay off an employee...I don't see why you right-wingers have some foaming hate about protecting the lifestyle of the individual when they are upholding their end of the bargain...you know, the loss of a job can destroy someone's life, especially if they have dependents, mortgage, etc...it is extraordinarily naive to put things in such a black and white context of 'companies have the right to do as they please'. As I said, companies have social responsibilities to their staff, society and the environment...

[Imran Siddiqui]

I am saying that unless there is good reason for dismissal, eg, incompetence, redundancy, it shouldn't be that simple to lay off an employee.

Why? If a boss can't stand an individual personally for his beliefs on certain issues, why should he be forced to keep him on, until he can find something to fire him 'for cause'? If he can't stand the guy, then he should be able to get rid of him for it.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
I don't see why you right-wingers have some foaming hate about protecting the lifestyle of the individual when they are upholding their end of the bargain...you know, the loss of a job can destroy someone's life, especially if they have dependents, mortgage, etc...

Typical strawman crap... bring up the right wing hate BS.

Why is it the companies responsibility to protect the lifestyle of an indvidual? They gave them that lifestyle in the first place. If I were using your posting style, I would say something like why do left wing socialist loonies always think that people shouldn't take responsibilities for their own lives... but neither your silly hate comments or blamining it on lefties is the real issue.

If you want somebody to protect somebodies lifestyle, let it be the government... The US is a capitist country... it's not up to companies to protect lifestyles of their employees. They can hire and fire as they see fit. Owners have that right and it's good that they do, because its their businesses. Again, start your own company if you can't trust working for a company. Or get a contract job where it's all spelled out. Companies don't owe you a job for life, or have to protect your lifestyle. That's your job.

[DanS]

This is really a strange argument. Maybe in your country, the employees are loyal to the companies that they work for. Where I live, the employees are less loyal to the company than the company is to them. As a practical matter, I can fire my employer much more easily than they can fire me.

Jobs change. It's certainly not the end of the world.

[Ming]

Yeah... some people think it's only fair if they get the choice. People can quit and disrupt a company, yet they don't think it's fair if they can be fired. It's a two way street.

[SlowwHand]

The whole point is, Texas is a right to work state.
They CAN fire you for color worn. They don't like brown shoes. You're a Seinfeld junkie. Anything.

[DanS]

Well, not quite anything.

[SlowwHand]

Not anything race, color or creed; but other than that, yes.

[DanS]

A business can't fire a woman for not smiling when the boss puts his hand on her ass, for instance.