Jeff Wigand wrote:
not a for real cowboy wrote:You don't understand what "at will" employment entails. Today my boss can walk into my office and fire me because I'm wearing a blue shirt. Nothing in my employee handbook prohibits me from wearing a blue shirt, but at the same time wearing a blue shirt doesn't put me in a protected class.
This woman received negative publicity for her costume, and someone at her company decided they don't want to be associated with her. Although a dick move, it's completely legal.
Don't you see the highlighted portion above?
I did, and that's why I wrote what I did. It doesn't matter if her employer set guidelines (or didn't set guidelines, for that matter) about costumes. You have no right to wear what you want to work, religious garb excepted.
Now most employers don't care. If someone wears something provocative, most employers will have a documented conversation with the employee. However, when an employee's poor costume choice blows up on the internet and the employer does not want to be associated with that costume choice, that employee will likely be terminated.
I'll dumb this down for you: in an "at will" employment arrangement, an employer does not need a reason to fire you. If a reason is provided, it can't include things like sex, race, disability, etc. Clothing and costumers are not among these protected classes.