jimnyc
01-23-2014, 10:32 AM
Technically he was ultimately fired for not returning to work, but anyone can see the underlying message, that it was about him wearing a Bronco's jersey to a company that supported the Seahawks. I point this out only because I have used it as an analogy many times in the past, saying that legally an employer can fire an employee for pretty much any reason, so long as that reason is not illegal, and doing so for the wrong jersey isn't illegal.
Nathaniel Wentz thought when his boss told him to wear a jersey to work on Sunday, he could wear any team's uniform.
Apparently not.
Wentz, 17, worked at Odyssey 1, a children’s play center in Tacoma, Wash. Before the big conference championship games on Sunday, Wentz's boss reportedly told employees to wear a jersey to support their team. Seeing as Tacoma is just outside Seattle, most employees wore Seahawks gear. Wentz, a Broncos fan, wore a No. 88 Demaryius Thomas jersey.
That didn't fly with the management, and Wentz was sent home to change. Wentz's dad tried to call the owner but never heard back, so his son stayed home. The next day he was fired.
Odyssey 1 has not spoken to any media outlets, so it's important to note that we've only got one side of this story. Plus, Wentz was technically fired for not returning to work, which is less outrageous than being let go for wearing the wrong team's jersey.
Still, if the directions really were that unclear, it's hard to fault Nathaniel for breaking out the Broncos jersey.
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/style-points/201401/seattle-area-teenager-loses-job-after-wearing-broncos-jersey-work
Nathaniel Wentz thought when his boss told him to wear a jersey to work on Sunday, he could wear any team's uniform.
Apparently not.
Wentz, 17, worked at Odyssey 1, a children’s play center in Tacoma, Wash. Before the big conference championship games on Sunday, Wentz's boss reportedly told employees to wear a jersey to support their team. Seeing as Tacoma is just outside Seattle, most employees wore Seahawks gear. Wentz, a Broncos fan, wore a No. 88 Demaryius Thomas jersey.
That didn't fly with the management, and Wentz was sent home to change. Wentz's dad tried to call the owner but never heard back, so his son stayed home. The next day he was fired.
Odyssey 1 has not spoken to any media outlets, so it's important to note that we've only got one side of this story. Plus, Wentz was technically fired for not returning to work, which is less outrageous than being let go for wearing the wrong team's jersey.
Still, if the directions really were that unclear, it's hard to fault Nathaniel for breaking out the Broncos jersey.
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/style-points/201401/seattle-area-teenager-loses-job-after-wearing-broncos-jersey-work