Don't get too fit or you can be fired!

RobynMWilson

A few weeks before I got laid off, I was told that in the summer I couldn't wear sleeveless shirts anymore (it was a casual office, where the owners wore jeans and flip flops and they never stated a problem with how I dress). The office manager made a mention of my "cute figure" in that convo, although it was 2008 so I don't remember verbatim. She was heavyset and never took my advice how to lose the weight. I remember my friend, who was friends with her brother, telling me before I started the job that she's sensitive about her weight and not talk too much about my working out, etc.

I got laid off for "poor work performance" (they knew if they fired me I was hiring a lawyer). Funny, I got hired as a bookkeeper and by the time I was laid off 3 yrs later I was drawing up Triple Net Commercial/Industrial Leases.

I didn't care. I collected and no longer had the hellish 52 mile round-trip commute each day and was able to ditch the micromanaging ninny that was my office mgr lol

RobynMWilson

PS...I did NOT dress like a hooch or slut. I wore nice jeans and nothing too tight, just like everyone else in the office.

RekindledRose

If she had a right to wear it, then he had a right to fire her. Isn't that what democracy is all about? Didn't we fight for equal rights?

Exactly.

She was asked to wear less provocative clothing. She didn't, that's a fact that both sides agreed on.

*shrugs* The dentist showed restraint and self control in that he chose to fire his assistant rather than attempt to get in her pants. I commend the man. He understood what his weakness is and avoided it, just like I don't keep ice cream in my freezer any longer, lol!

And yes, psfr, you can fire someone for having a different religion or belief than you do. About 10 years ago a Muslim boss successfully fired his employee for repeatedly eating BLT sandwiches at her desk. Pork is against their religion, and they asked her to stop and she didn't.

It's called a democracy. It's called capitalism and freedom to believe what you want. Private business owners have a different set of rules than government workers.

move257

"he complained that her tight clothing was distracting -- once telling her that if his pants were bulging that was a sign her clothes were too revealing".....

Is this guy serious?!! What a d-bag!!! No way this is real!!! insane!

amber1533

Wow! I don't think that is justified at all, it just shows that as far as we want to say we are "progressive and accept people as they are" it's very clear our nation does not.

Regardless of his "uncontrollable urges" and desire to save his marriage, it was and would never be a justified firing regardless of the courts.

amber1533

Re-reading the article it wasn't actually about her clothing, she engaged in a more personal intimate relationship (by texting) with him, he got caught and his wife told him to fire her, he needed a reason and the best he could think of was that he was attracted.

That is the big picture...

NormalSaneFLGuy

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/12/27/yelp-users-slam-dentist-who-fired-his-assistant-for-being-irresistible/?test=latestnews

Some quotes from the article:

"Melissa Nelson, a 32-year-old married mother of two, had worked for James Knight for 10 years, and he considered her a stellar worker. But in the final months of her employment, he complained that her tight clothing was distracting -- once telling her that if his pants were bulging that was a sign her clothes were too revealing, according to the Supreme Court opinion."

and

"On Dec. 21, the court ruled 7-0 that bosses can fire employees they see as an "irresistible attraction," even if the employees have not engaged in flirtatious behavior or otherwise done anything wrong."

Why are you misquoting this?

It's not the US Supreme Court.. it's an IOWA court (all male by the way, our supreme court thankfully has 3 women on it)

Second, the firing was related to "irresistable attraction". Employees are required to dress in certain ways (think uniforms, business suits, etc..) and if you walk in looking like a homeless guy or you walk in with your boobs handing out, they have a right to tell you to dress differently. And, if you want to keep your job, you'll do as they say.

Additionally, the court ruled the way it did because his wife ask that she be fired, and they believe that he has the ability to honor that relationship and listen to his wife.

That said, this dentist sounds like a total creeper and if I'm sure he's sexually harassed plenty of women. He should probably be thrown in jail.

1) I copy and pasted directly, no misquotes
2) It was upheld by Iowa Supreme Court
3) Courts will examine other states precedent sometimes when making their own decisions
4) To say it was for his "relationship" with respect to his wife and that it had nothing to do with the fact that the employee was an attractive female is completely silly.
5) After the fact, when in court, they said part of the reason was that they text messaged. They never said it was sexual or intimate. In fact it was "mostly about personal matters, such as their families."

quirkytizzy

*shrugs* The dentist showed restraint and self control in that he chose to fire his assistant rather than attempt to get in her pants. I commend the man. He understood what his weakness is and avoided it, just like I don't keep ice cream in my freezer any longer, lol!

A person doesn't get commended for that. It's expected that someone won't sexually assault someone just because they've got a boner. That's called being a regular, respectful human being.

You don't get a cookie for that.

FrancesGallagher

That dentist's female patients are in danger if they aren't all very plain and probably "old". This is an unbelievable story, I read the news article to. Did it take the dentist ten years to make up his mind he couldn't handle being near this assistant ? Sad !!!

NormalSaneFLGuy

*shrugs* The dentist showed restraint and self control in that he chose to fire his assistant rather than attempt to get in her pants. I commend the man. He understood what his weakness is and avoided it, just like I don't keep ice cream in my freezer any longer, lol!

A person doesn't get commended for that. It's expected that someone won't sexually assault someone just because they've got a boner. That's called being a regular, respectful human being.

You don't get a cookie for that.

FR sent.

soulfulsally

If she had a right to wear it, then he had a right to fire her. Isn't that what democracy is all about? Didn't we fight for equal rights?

Your sentiment reminded me of that Jevovah Witness a few years back who got fired from a department store for refusing to wear a Santa hat and she ended up getting $50,000 or so in the court settlement. It was deemed religious discrimination. It'll be interesting to see if Nelson's gender discrimination case will reap a similar reward. It should, but with Christianity tending to carry more weight in the U.S courts., who knows?

Doodlewhopper

An employer should have the right to fire an employee without cause. I also wonder how many of you would even hire, much less keep a sexy housekeeper around your hubby while you are at work.....

terracotti

the boss is really pathetic.

tomomatic

It's very much the opposite where I work.

I work with a lot of older women. And they all seem to like it when I wear tight clothing. In fact they've started to request it. They make comments when I'm at the water cooler. Some of the supervisors call me into their office.. and make me shut the door.



Sometimes at night... I cry.

Crying is blackmail. Man up and scream like a little girl.

MemphisKitten

It's just because no one in the Supreme Court is getting laid.

EnderNC

That's so freaky. She looks just like an older version of this girl I dated a few years back. Guess it's true what they say. Everyone has a twin.

AllTehBeers

Dress provacative and wear tight form-fitting clothing on your own time, you have 16 hours of the day to do that. When someone is paying you to do a job, they have the right to set a standard of work attire.

This. Isn't the dress code part of the requirements of work?

If you don't dress within the guidelines of the dress code you stand to get fired.

Bobby__Clerici

Her termination went beyond merely being fit,
There were other factors like both parties texting each other outside work and engaging in sexual innuendo.
When his wife found out, she demanded the employee be fired.
A job is not an entitlement, and a business is not a social service. If my wife found out I was texting the maid and such, the maid would be GONE!
Such is life....

AllTehBeers

Her termination went beyond merely being fit,
There were other factors like both parties texting each other outside work and engaging in sexual innuendo.
When his wife found out, she demanded the employee be fired.
A job is not an entitlement, and a business is not a social service. If my wife found out I was texting the maid and such, the maid would be GONE!
Such is life....

Yep. This case is far from cut and dry.

mikey1976

ok all you ladys are to hot i can't diet right i'm reporting this thread. jk lol the guy is a creep who probly wanted more with her and she didn't do anything wrong. i'm kinda woundering who gave who there number fist. because the first text should of put an end to it. but so you don't forget i think it was a police officer who said if you dress sl?ty you deserve to be rapped something along that line. just check youtube for sl?twalk. it a sad day in our time when women get this treatment it unfair and not called fore thats my opion ........... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub249o225bg