Kicked out of work for wearing kilt

[Kilted in Maine]

Point is he had permission.

I do see that he had been given permission to wear a kilt. I don't see that he was given permission to deviate from the dress code.

The dress code is a white above the waist, and black below.

The POINT I was making is that he could have worn the kilt and still have been within the dress code.

I am not condoning with the supervisor did (far from it!!). What he did was wrong and it should be addressed to his superiors. All I am saying is a white shirt with the rest of the outfit would have given him a stronger argument to dispute the decision. As is, he may be left with just the WAY the message was conveyed to him.

Right or wrong the dress code is in place for a reason. I assume it is to have the employees, as a group stand out, from the customers who may be seeking assistance. His attire would likely cause him to stand out but not necessarily as an employee.

[wildrover]

Wow.

#1, it's a f$cking bookstore, not the damn IRS, for crissakes. I half-expect to see kilts, dreads, dashikis, flip flops, grass skirts, multiple piercings, black berets, Che Guevara t-shirts, and good lord only knows what else, in a book store...including the employees...who I generally identify by the name tag, not the khakis and polo shirt. Everybody and their 3rd cousin wears khakis and a polo shirt, to abhor that stamp of commonality is an obvious sign of independent thought and a stylistic breath of fresh air, to say the least. Is this a specialty bookstore of some sort? Perhaps, a religiously conservative bookstore (no offense intended to religious bookstores, just trying to understand if there's a pre-existing mindset or bias)? Bookstores are places of learning...storehouses of knowledge...not fonts of idiocy. 'Irish Day'? Really? Sounds to me like you were professionally dressed, and conservatively kilted.

#2, the new guy is hassling the veteran model employee. There's simply something wrong with that situation.

#3, if I'd been in the same store, kilted, and heard the guy call you a 'transy' for being in a kilt, I'd have been in his f&cking face. Them's fighting words, one jackass calling one guy in a kilt a 'transy' is calling all of us 'transies' (I assume that is the correct pluralization of an incorrectly jargonized pejorative term), I don't look kindly on it, and frankly I dare the guy to let the 1B Scots Guards know he thinks they're a bunch of 'transies'.

#4...Riverkilt's suggestion, Rocky's way.

You outdressed the guy, and you went over his head. BFD. In the modern professional world, we all work as a team, and we are generally not our brothers' keepers. Is his job description to hassle the other employees, or to organize and delegate?...in other words, is he a foreman, or a manager?

Does this bookstore have a harassment policy? (they should, IIRC it is required.)

I might also suggest you schedule a meeting with the boss and the new guy, wearing the same clothing, carrying your ring-on-the-backhand apology letter. That way the boss knows what happened, you can call out transy-boy in a professional setting (as opposed to getting your buddies together and dragging him out back in the alley like he deserves, which is frowned upon these days), and since you'll be dressed the part, the FNG can't claim you were a 'transy' swishing around in a skirt.

I personally wouldn't wear a kilt to work...not really appropriate in my setting, and I'd be sitting on my pleats all day (yep, I am a "mushroom"). But a bookstore? Like a library, church, campus, coffee shop, etc...that's fair game. I cannot think of a single bookstore, even the Christian ones, where I would think of a kilted gentleman as being out of place.

'Transies' indeed. He crossed the line, I give a rat's backside what branch he was in, or for how long.

-Sean

[starbkjrus]

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........

Nobody and I mean NOBODY speaks to me in that manner. HIS job would be in jepoardy.

[Scotcop]

I had showed the store manager a color photograph of m ensembles, she had picked out the one I wore, I had a white shirt combo in the portfolio.
Yes, the is a Christian bookstore, and its part of a chain.

[Kilted in Maine]

I had showed the store manager a color photograph of m ensembles, she had picked out the one I wore, I had a white shirt combo in the portfolio.
Yes, the is a Christian bookstore, and its part of a chain.

Thanks for clarifying that!

I stand corrected!

[cavscout]

I had showed the store manager a color photograph of m ensembles, she had picked out the one I wore, I had a white shirt combo in the portfolio.
Yes, the is a Christian bookstore, and its part of a chain.

I think you deserve a bit of justice here. That doesn't mean it has to be thrust into the legal realm or anyone needs to lose their job or that it has to be the OK Coral, but it absolutely needs to be addressed. I would bet dollars to donuts that the store manager would be horrified by what this guy said to you. I know if it were my company, and a Christian company at that, I would expect my employees to live up to my expectations of behavior, professionalism and courtesy. Just handle it calmly but matter-of-factly, that the behavior will not be accepted.

[Tobus]

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)

I hate to belabor the point, but this is not a civil rights violation. Not in any legal sense. It's a dress code issue, nothing more. There is no established legal "right" to wear the kilt at work in the private sector. Scotcop would have no legal standing to even threaten action over this incident. Not only does he have no legal precedent to back him up, but he doesn't even have any damages to claim. It's not like he lost his job. He just got a verbal warning.

Invoking the term "civil rights" really does not apply here, as much as we would all like for the law to protect our inalienable right to wear the kilt wherever we choose.

Scotcop, I don't think you mentioned whether the manager knows that this guy sent you home and berated you. Was she present at the store when this happened? If so, did she just allow it to happen despite her previous permission?

[wildrover]

I had showed the store manager a color photograph of m ensembles, she had picked out the one I wore, I had a white shirt combo in the portfolio.

Fancy a change in employment responsibilities, as opposed to a change in status? If she gave permission, and you are familiar with her, it might be worth the offhand comment that you'd make a good shift manager. Granted, kilts and deep fryers don't mix, but as others have stated, it's only a min-wage job, and there are others out there.

Yes, the is a Christian bookstore, and its part of a chain.

I had a suspicion (it was the uniform, btw). While you may have an uphill battle with certain presuppositions with some people in that environment, I would expect that a conservatively kilted gentleman would be recognized as well-dressed, as kilted gentlemen generally are when they attend church. It sounds like the lady who gave permission (and picked the outfit!) understood this, and only needs to make it clear to the shift supervisor, even if it requires the almighty hand of god himself.

BTW, feel free to tell transie-boy (or rather, his super) that his attitude only perpetuates a very negative religious and cultural stereotype. That may be more effective than other suggestions here.

-Sean

[auld argonian]

I think you deserve a bit of justice here. That doesn't mean it has to be thrust into the legal realm or anyone needs to lose their job or that it has to be the OK Coral, but it absolutely needs to be addressed. I would bet dollars to donuts that the store manager would be horrified by what this guy said to you. I know if it were my company, and a Christian company at that, I would expect my employees to live up to my expectations of behavior, professionalism and courtesy. Just handle it calmly but matter-of-factly, that the behavior will not be accepted.

Right on! And speaking of donuts, maybe that's the ticket: you, the Major and the uber-boss sit down over some good coffee and donuts and work it out. Worked for Dr. Gates, the President and the Policeman...'cept that was beer...

(By the ay...this guy doesn't actually expect you all to adress him as "Major" Whatever, does he? Sounds like Captain Peacock from Are You Being Served.")

Best

AA

[Nighthawk]

I had showed the store manager a color photograph of m ensembles, she had picked out the one I wore, I had a white shirt combo in the portfolio.
Yes, the is a Christian bookstore, and its part of a chain.

Wait... you actually not only had permission, but had the specific outfit approved ahead of time and this still happened? I'd have someones job over that!

I hate to belabor the point, but this is not a civil rights violation. Not in any legal sense. It's a dress code issue, nothing more. There is no established legal "right" to wear the kilt at work in the private sector. Scotcop would have no legal standing to even threaten action over this incident. Not only does he have no legal precedent to back him up, but he doesn't even have any damages to claim. It's not like he lost his job. He just got a verbal warning.

Man, you could be so wrong on this! His sexuality was called into question, by an authority figure, in public! At every place I've ever worked, that an offense would get you fired- it creates a hostile work environment, shows blatant prejudice, humiliates the employee, and fits well into the realm of sexual harassment! Plenty of civil rights were violated- and he actually had his outfit preapproved by the store manager! I emailed my friend in my employers HR department to find out what her take is, and I'll let you know what I find out from her.