Case Study off-The-Job Behavior

1. Do you believe Oiler's employee rights were violated? Explain your position.

Personally, I don't believe that Oiler should have been fired for his off duty behavior. The subjectivity of "bad behavior" allows the employer for too much power based on their (or the public's) whims which in turns screws over basic moral freedoms. A company should only be allowed to fire someone if their off duty behavior directly impacts their performance at work or the image of the company due to that person's position within the company.

I really don't believe that his cross dressing would have not necessarily harmed the company's image. In my opinion he was doing his job and his position within the company was that of one in which someone would not have necessarily recognized him, he was truck driver and not the manager of a store.

2. What do you see as the consequences of organizations that punish employees for certain off-the-job behaviors? Explain.

Because most companies are now considered "at-will" a person can be fired for almost any reason without the company suffering any type of consequences. Under the "at-will" doctrine of employment, "you can be fired for any reason or no reason, as long as it's not illegal," termination is justified when a person's off-duty conduct is antithetical to an employer's mission, products, services or public image, HR experts say. "Any organization is harmed by having someone whose values are completely incompatible with [its own],"

3. Would you consider Winn-Dixie an organization that exhibits characteristics of progressive discipline or the hot stove approach? Defend your position.

I don't believe Winn-Dixie exhibited the characteristics of progressive disciplinary but rather the hot stove approach. They immediately fired Oiler for his off- duty behavior. There was no type of counseling (informal or formal), he was never reprimand verbally or in writing, there was suspension or demotion, all of which are a part of the Progressive Disciplinary Guidelines.

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