Kicked out of work for wearing kilt

[RockyR]

Count me as *** for the 'apology' route.

I'd take it a step further however... I would write the apology letter to your direct supervisor and CC it to the boss whose permission you DID get. It would read the same as the letter by COURTMOUNT outlined above, with 1 small addition.

"In the future, I would ask that any discussions on my behavior / attire be dealt with in a professional manner, instead of berating me in front of my peers and the store's customers. Such circumstances are best dealt with in private as it's unprofessional to accuse someone of being a 'tranny' in public."

I would apologise to him for your alledged 'unprofessionalism', as well as call him out for HIS unprofessional behavior.

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

I would complain to the person who gave you permission. I would also remind him of the hostile work environment that this "major" pain is fostering. Owning the book store sounds like a great idea at this time.

Agreed.

[tulloch]

I would encourage about twenty kilt-wearing friends in Wisconsin to come and browse for a couple hours one day just to steep him in the culture. (If they are big and hairy, so much the better. Quiet, subtle intimidation can be ok.) Otherwise I would address the issue with the higher-up who gave you permission. This guy is a bully. On the one hand we as people get along by avoiding conflict. On the other hand the culture he stands up for has rejected bullying and is taking it really seriously. You should avoid conflict and avoid losing your job. WE should see that he stops bullying people.

[creagdhubh]

So I wore my kilt in for Tartan Day today, as my boss had given me permission a couple weeks ago, all of my coworkers know I wear a kilt, and seem to be OK with it, until today......I walked in, clocked in, and 10 minutes later I get a tap on the shoulder, and turn around to find the shift manager standing there. He tells me "I have 3 words for you, asinine, idiotic, and unprofessional. This is not Jr. high, this is not show and tell, we are big boys here, and we are here to work, I dont care if it's Irish Day, I don't care if you are a transy, but when you come to work, you will wear this uniform, or you will be released. You have reflected badly on me, my judgment and position, you have embarrassed me and the other employees, and you have reflected badly on the professionalism of this job. If you have any sense of decency and maturity about you will be go home and change into proper attire."

Needless to say, I changed, rather than cause a huge problem.......was pretty disappointed though, the boss 2 levels above him said I could wear it, and yet he threatened to fire me right there........

Well, I am sorry that happened to you, but you did the right thing. I have one word for all of this, ignorance. Stay proud, and keep wearing the kilt!

[cavscout]

Good advise already given above. Which ever way you go, don't simply accept his behavior. While that sort of condescending garbage is accepted in the military, he's in the civilian world and should act accordingly.

I'm curious what the approved uniform looks like?

What's the number of your store? We can all call and comment on "How GREAT it was to see an employee of this company celebrating their heritage in such a professional manner. The management there must be very good to their employees."

[ForresterModern]

I guess I'm a little confused...do you have a "uniform," as you quoted? I know we've had folks on here whose work places did, in fact, have a uniform, but managed to wear a kilt which was as closely matched to the company style as possible.

I would definitely thank the boss who gave you the permission, but explain how it was received by the supervisor and that, rather than argue about it, you changed from your kilt. Then ask about specific dress code policies or employee harassment policies. After all, it's certainly not your intention to embarrass the company in any way, but at the same time it sounds as though "the policy" can change from supervisor to supervisor.

Here is where I agree the strongest. What, if any, dress code or written dress expectations are in place at your place of empleyment and your level of employee? If none, your supervisor is in critical violation of your civil rights (unless your kilt was somehow dangerous in the workplace), and the above advice about documenting word for word his converstation with and demands on you to change should be forwarded to his superiors, particularly to the supervisor who approved your kilt wearing. I would not mention legal issues in your initial document, as you do not wish to seem combative, otherwise folks will start taking legal positions and dig in their heals, and even your advocate may become your enemy if it threatens the corporation. But raising your concerns to that level of supervisor SHOULD get him and his managers thinking about the discrimination issues and they should come down hard on your immediate (and assinine) supervisor to make amends, and probably even apologize publicly. Tread gently and make sure your intents are for what is best for the corporation overall rather than threateningly self-serving.

Good luck.

jeff

[Good Egg]

Count me as *** for the 'apology' route.

I'd take it a step further however... I would write the apology letter to your direct supervisor and CC it to the boss whose permission you DID get. It would read the same as the letter by COURTMOUNT outlined above, with 1 small addition.

"In the future, I would ask that any discussions on my behavior / attire be dealt with in a professional manner, instead of berating me in front of my peers and the store's customers. Such circumstances are best dealt with in private as it's unprofessional to accuse someone of being a 'tranny' in public."

I would apologise to him for your alledged 'unprofessionalism', as well as call him out for HIS unprofessional behavior.

I wouldn't 'call him out on his unprofessional behavior' quite so blatantly. It will put him on the defensive and may make the chain of command close ranks in support of their man. Perhaps you could say something to the effect of:

"At the time I was rather upset and humiliated that you disciplined me in front of my workmates and felt that you were mocking my heritage but I now realize the difficult position I put you with regard to maintaining standards in the workplace."

Describe his behavior and then excuse it by blaming yourself for provoking it and apologize for doing so. It's a subtle attack that you must be careful not to overplay.

Is there any chance that the exchange between you could have been witnessed by a customer? If so then you could manufacture a letter from that 'customer' complaining about the conduct of the Major. It's a dishonest and underhand route to go down but you have been put in an invidious position through no fault of your own.

Whatever you do strike while the iron is hot.

[revanslacey]

Very difficult. Confronting your bosses at work can be counterproductive however wrong they are.

You could try sending him a written apology with a copy sent to the boss who gave you permission in the first place. Something along the lines of:

Dear Major Smith,

I am sorry that I embarrassed you, my co-workers and the company and have reflected badly on the professionalism of the job.

I am not a transvestite but of Scots/Irish heritage which I am proud of but never-the-less accept that it was not appropriate to wear my kilt at work.

I did discuss this with Mr XXXX and he said it was OK but I should have discussed it with you as my immediate superior.

You may rest assured that it will not happen again.

Your sincerely

Kilt wearing B'stard

If you are going to write such a letter you want it to appear naive rather than sarcastic.

If the owners have any gumption they are going to asking why you are apologizing for something that you should not be apologizing for and why on earth you are mentioning transvestites.

If you are going to go down this route you might want to post the letter on here so that others more divorced from the emotion of the case can just check that you've got the tone OK.

I like the idea of the letter above. I also agree with a previous poster that this Major could have felt somewhat cut out of the chain of command when the original poster went over his head ... if the chain of command is important in the store then perhaps the big boss should have suggested going through it rather than just giving permissions that s/he did not let his/her subordinates know about. Their bad - not the poster's or the Major's.

The one thing I am curious about are the number of posts talking of the poster being 'accused' of being a transvestite. People often think I'm Scottish and gay but I wouldn't say they 'accuse' me of it. I guess I must be comfortable in my straight Englishness.

[MacLowlife]

Thanks, ScotCop, for telling us your story- and thanks to the several wise heads that have provided advice on how they would address it.

What comes to my mind now, is a need for more information about your workplace, your work history, etc. It might even be useful to hear about your kilt and accessories. How many employees does this place have? How large is the business, in physical size and financial? What are your duties there? What do you wear the rest of the time? Can you describe for us the command structure? How many layers of organization are there? Is the owner local? Are the employees "organized" as in "organized labor" i.e., unionized? Tell us about your longevity on the job and that of the disapproving supervisor. How was your relationship before?

Have you discussed this unfortunate incident with anyone at work? Has anyone there offered you their opinion or assessment?

There are bookstores and there are bookstores, ranging from temples of literature to places that might just as well be selling teen fashions or groceries. The atmosphere can range from a community of enthusiasts (think of the guys in HIGH FIDELITY) to well, to a soulless place with cruel taskmasters.

When you have the time, please give us a few paragraphs about work and you. By now you should be able to tell that we are going to support you.

[Bugbear]

And don't forget this is a forum that can be read by members and non-members.