Woman fired after rescuing siblings from Mississippi

[okieinpain]

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050914/NEWS01/509140424

man, people (bosses)really can get stupid. of course now they aren't going to hire her back because that would mean they were wrong in the first place.

[LostinVA]

1. Retail workers are interchangeable to many retail managers

I was a retail manager for several years, and never treated my staff this way, but this mentality was rife from the Corporate down to the local level. It makes me sick. Retail is usually a soulless job, and everyone should have to work a job like that for at least six months. I guarantee it would cut down on 70% of customer complaints!

[ladylibertee]

8. Yeah, saw that on the News.Total Bull shit Dude.

[nickyt]

12. From the same link:

Make your voice heard
Family Dollar Executive Offices
Post Office Box 1017
Charlotte, N.C. 28201-1017
Telephone: [phone]
Web site: www.familydollar.com

Family Dollar Spring Hill Store
5441 Main St. #2
Spring Hill, Tenn., 37174-2453
Telephone: [phone]

To send an e-mail:
www.familydollar.com/contact.aspx


Well, at least we can express our dismay directly via contacts the paper so kindly put together for us...I was thinking, well, MAYBE this gal was not too hot of a worker --- but you know, even if that's the case, don't use RESCUING LITTLE BROTHERS AND SISTERS as an excuse to let her go... Lost, I could not agree with you more - I have done very little retail work, but waited more tables in my time than I care to remember, and have said for years that EVERYBODY needs to try that for "at least six months" - then they'd quit whining (and power tripping!) and leave big tips, no matter what!

[okieinpain]

21. hospital transporter try that for 6 months. hey I got locked in the

morgue on halloween night, you believe that.

[liberal N proud]

2. She left work early a day before making the trip, that's why she was fired

Her bosses didn't necessarily object to her trip, she said, but objected to her leaving work four hours early on Thursday and not leaving for Mississippi until late Friday.

[sandnsea]

23. Which means what exactly

I really need to follow the thinking of your statement. Did you just stop thinking at the end of the article, or what exactly. How do you justify them firing her.

And our minimum wage is more than $7.00 hr, and she was third in charge. Unbelievable how shitty some people will allow themselves to be treated.

[fasttense]

3. What does Tenn have to complain about? They are a "right to work" state

Which means an employer can fire you for any reason they want. So this employer did nothing wrong legally. Of course morally is something else.

At the beginning of the storm, there were some posts by people who stayed in New Orleans to ride out Katrina. Some of them said they stayed because their bosses wouldn't let them off to evacuate.

[liberalnurse]

9. Legally they can do so......

but it is obviously not a good faith effort either........Speaking out can render shame right where it belongs.

[meow2u3]

11. She ought to take the boss to Moral Court

There's a new reality show on TV, Moral Court, where the judge bases decision not on a legal, but on a moral, basis. She'd win hands down in Moral Court because what her boss did was immoral.

[liberalnurse]

13. Thats a great idea.

Maybe you can email that to the financial fund drive listed on the article page.

I recommended this page too!

[TahitiNut]

14. That's not quite true.

Edit: There's a difference between "right to work" and "employment at will". The former applies to unions (permitting people to work in 'union shops' without joing the union or paying dues) and the latter applies to reasons for discharge. I think you mean "employment at will."

Even in a "employment at will" state, employers cannot fire people due to their gender, race, or religion, for example. While IANAL, it's my understanding that an employer in a "employment at will" state has no "burden of proof" whatsoever. Thus, in any action alleging wrongful discharge the plaintiff must bear the burden of proof and the employer has no obligation to 'show cause'. Employers acting contrary to the 'public interest' can still be prosecuted or held liable.

[raccoon]

18. Everyone out there who doesn't live in an "employment at will"

state (are there any?) make a note of this.

You might want to think LONG and HARD before you move to accept a job in "employment at will" state.

[TahitiNut]

27. Those states with a "wrongful discharge" statute are the 'exceptions.'

"Employment at will" is virtually ubiquitous, afaik. There are generally two exceptions: (1) contrary to public policy, or (2) where an (implied) employment contract exists.

The model statute (not yet fully enacted by any state) for "wrongful discharge" requires that employees can be fired only for "good cause", for example, poor job performance. States which have enacted "wrongful discharge" statutes vary in their provisions.

In law, precedents are often controlling. Courts often have inferred these promises from an employer's words and actions. For example, a contractual promise has been inferred when statements like these were made by the employer:

• "You will be employed as long as your performance is satisfactory."
• "You will be terminated unless your performance improves."

Employees are STRONGLY ADVISED to keep good notes and files. (You can bet your sweet ass your employer is keeping notes and files favorable to his interests!) The best habit I could advise any employee to cultivate is note-taking. Journalize everything in a spiral notebook. Buy it yourself and keep it up-to-date with every meeting, conversation and assignment, as well as "interesting" comments made, even in passing, by any manager or executive. Contemporaneous notes are VERY persuasive in any litigation. Indeed, merely having them is a "persuader" in confronting an employer over a perceived wrong.


NOTE: I say these things, not as an attorney (I'm not), but as a former manager and internal auditor with substantive experience in these areas, in three different states (NY, WA, CA).

[okieinpain]

19. yep so is oklahoma, you should hear the temps complain about

being a temp for 3 years. but they strongly support those repugs.

[raccoon]

28. And I betcha those SAME BOSSES probably tell their

employees they could hire somebody off the street to replace them.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Unforgiveable treatment of an employee during a once-in-a-lifetime crisis.

Her employer is wildly short-sighted, childish, and selfish. Must be a MEpublican.

[liberalnurse]

5. I sent them an email .....

letting them know my opinion......

snip>

I have read the article regarding Ms. Sims employment termination and reviewed your corporate statement. I find your statement most misleading and dishonest. I find your treatment of Ms. Sims an abomination. Your store will never be on my list of vendors ever again. I will share this article on my employer’s bulletin board so that others may be well informed of your abusive employment practices.

end>

[shaniqua6392]

10. Absolutely perfect!!!

Spread the word throughout the land!!

[Cocoa]

6. "Family Dollar"

emphasis on "dollar"

[shaniqua6392]

7. It is the Family Dollar Store.....

Time to fire off our emails. Lets not just sit here and do nothing. The only thing business listens to is the threat that we will not buy from them. Spread the word. People in general need to do more than just talk about it. Let's roll.

on edit: contact www.familydollar.com

[nickyt]

15. Done!

Here's mine:
Hello,
I just read the article of the Spring Hill store FIRING Kolonie Sims for taking a little time off to rescue her baby brother and sister from Katrina's aftermath. I think it's great that you are not letting her get away with such behavior. She should have stayed at her post there at the Family Dollar in Spring Hill and let her little brother and sister live under a cardboard box for a couple of weeks, eh? Well, maybe months - it would have helped these kids build some "character", and I am all for building "character".
And if you think I will EVER set foot in another Family Dollar store again as long as I live - oops! I don't think so! I am also mounting a BOYCOTT of Family Dollar and will be making sure that word gets out in a BIG way of YOUR behavior in the face of this massive national tragedy.
Sincerely,
nickyt

I'm going to download the article/make copies/take 'em to the local FD, and, like, ya'll, GET THE WORD OUT -

[Orsino]

17. Done!

"Until Kolonie Sims is rehired, I will no longer shop at Family Dollar stores. Your entire chain should be ashamed of her unjust firing, when your website proudly proclaims your commitment to Katrina relief. That claim, along with the "Family" in your name, appears to be a lie. I will no longer patronize your chain if you do not make this right."

[JugDack]

22. Done.

"Just read about your despicable treatment of Kolonie Sims. You should be ashamed! "Family Dollar"?? I guess we see which of those words is the important one to you faux-humans. Well, I promise you that my FAMILY will never spend another DOLLAR at your stores, and I will spread the word as far & wide as I can to make sure no one else does either."

[myrna minx]

26. Bio on buy blue

http://www.buyblue.org/node/874/view/summary

[mcscajun]

16. She needed time to arrange things to leave...so what?

What business is it of theirs what she had to do before she left? They certainly wouldn't have wanted her making her personal calls and travel arrangements on the job.

She's going to come out on top on this, I can see it coming. Some good-hearted soul is going to offer her a better job, and fast. :)

[raccoon]

20. Whoever wrote this article, or maybe the proofreader (if they still

have them at newspapers) needs some English classes.

"Sims says she's tentatively found a job working at a mall gift store. "

Maybe they mean TEMPORARILY?

How do people so lacking in English language skills get jobs like that???

I think it's awful that they fired this woman for such a LAME "reason."

Edited to add 2 paragraphs.

[sandnsea]

24. Uhm, no, tentatively is right

It may be permanent, not temporary, depending on what happens at Family Dollar. That's why it's tentative.

[northzax]

25. depending on the meaning

tentatively can work. temoporarily means she has a job, but it's not permanent. tentatively means she thinks she has a job, but doesn't know formally yet.

[sando]

31. It means

She was interviewed for the job but hasn't been hired yet. Her use of the word tentatively was correct.

[Imagevision]

29. Just fired off letter to Dollar store - and to other business friends in

my area representing 3000+ persons to suggest selecting one of the other three Dollar type stores avaliable in my area.

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[raccoon]

30. I see what yall are saying. I usually think of using

the word in a different sense.

[Orsino]

32. Promising response I received from Family Dollar!

Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns with us.

One of Family Dollar's missions is to provide our associates with a compelling place to work. With more than 40,000 employees, situations can arise that do not reflect our corporate commitment to being a compelling place to work, and we have processes in place to review and address those situations as promptly as possible. We have reviewed Ms. Sims' situation, and we have offered to re-employ Ms. Sims in her previous position and to compensate her for the time she missed from work. We are waiting to hear back from Ms. Sims as to whether she will accept our offer of re-employment.

Our goal is and continues to be to provide associates a compelling place to work, and this isolated incident does not reflect the true spirit of Family Dollar. The true spirit of Family Dollar is reflected in the actions we have taken to support our displaced employees during this difficult time:

* We have actively reached out to our employees to make sure that they were safe
* We have responded to every employee that has contacted us and placed them in jobs
* We have continued salary and benefits for displaced or missing employees
* We have assisted displaced Associates with temporary living expenses
* We are providing relocation assistance to those employees who have decided to relocate permanently

The perception created by this isolated incident does not accurately reflect our corporate culture. Family Dollar is a compassionate organization that has taken many steps to aid and assist all of our associates and customers who have been victimized by Hurricane Katrina.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns with us.

Sincerely,
Kiley F. Rawlins, CFA
Divisional Vice President - Investor Relations and Communications
Family Dollar Stores
P.O. Box 1017
Charlotte, NC 28201-1017
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]