Painters working for Laitala Enterprises working in a fife subdivision left work two hours early to attend the march of about 30,000 demonstrators.
" We weren't going to let 17 people leave early for basically no excused absence," Monroe-based home-painting contractor Terry Laitala told The Seattle Times. "We let people leave early if their family is sick," he said. "They didn't have a reason. I mean, they did, but none that fit into our policy "
the 17 workers, mostly Latino, filed a grievance with the union after Laitala refused to reinstate them.
Any of the companies that I worked for if I left early without permission or valid excuse, I would be canned & the same for my employees.
This is no different from walking off the job and quitting.
6 comments:
And that's exactly the reason I would never work for a company like that. NEVER.
That's excellent! Walk off the job to demostrate your solidarity with illegal aliens; lose your job!
That grievance is gonna go precisely nowhere, which is as it should be.
anon
I do not know of too many businesses that would allow a large number of people to without prior arrangement simply walk off the job especially a job like a painter when they have contracts and deadlines to meet.
I can understand closing the doors a couple hours early for something that you believe highly in... however, it does not sound like that is the case here.
so if I was faced with a similar situation in my business, some disciplinary action would be required.
but I would also take the employee's record in to consideration before termination as well.
Robin,
Employee history becomes irrelevant when the employee proves total disrespect for you and your policies by walking off the job.
If you do not fire that employee, you are telling the rest of the employees they can do as they please because you are weak and they have control.
I speak from experience.
Anonymous 849: You would never work for a company where you could do what you wanted and to hell with the owner and managers? You must be unemployed most of the time. Either that or you have your own failing business.
And remember, no one is saying these employers were being "anti immigrant" or anything. They are being "anti-absentee."
Every employer I ever worked for allowed workers to take scheduled time off for vacation, personal time, or any other reason--as long as you followed proper procedures like scheduling time off in advance, working extra hours to make up, getting a coworker to cover a shift, etc. Likewise, for an emergency like waking up with the flu, needing to take a child to the hospital, a death in the family, etc., employers will generally allow you to miss work with little or no advanced notice.
But just skipping work to go to an event, whether it is a political rally, a U2 concert (is that the same thing?), a hair appointment, or a trip to the mall... as far as any employer should be concerned, these are all unacceptable.
These workers knew at least a few days in advance what was happening. They should have gone to their boss, explained why it was important to them, and scheduled the day off. If they had done this, they would all still be employed.
So much for the vaunted "work ethic" of illegal immigrants...
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