Kicked out of work for wearing kilt

**jkane** · 7th April 10, 12:30 PM

The uniform was white shirt. Since it was a blue one, that is likely the stem of the "out of uniform" issue. Not much you can do about it now.

If anyone else wants to try this, make sure you stick to the "uniform" and only vary the pants with a kilt.

This is my problem at my job. The dress code does not say a kilt is not allowed. But it does say no bare skin. The code for skirts and dresses is the closest I can go with and it says I'd have to wear panty hose, or make sure kilt hose come above the knee, so no leg ever shows. Sorry, I refuse to wear panty hose!

**cessna152towser** · 7th April 10, 12:49 PM

If I read this correctly, the ex-Major has only been in the job one month and he is already berating smartly dressed employees with abusive insults such as the tranny suggestion, yet he turns up at work in a tee-shirt, cargoes and sneakers. Worth discussing with your co-workers to see if they have been having similar problems with him finding other excuses to berate them and then take a joint grievance to the top manager. The way the Major spoke to you displays a clear lack of management skills and I am confident he will not last long in this job once the top man susses out his chronic inadequacy. Well done on the restraint shown on the day.

**lethearen** · 7th April 10, 01:09 PM

Does all this discrimination talk regarding "national origin" actually apply? Because if scotcop is an American celebrating his Scottish roots... well, frankly the kilt isn't _our_ national attire.

Regardless, the way that guy handled the situation was way outta line. Sorry you have to mess with jacks like that.

**ronstew** · 7th April 10, 01:13 PM

I have only been chewing on this for a few hours, and in time of high emotion, three days is a minimum cooling-off period. But this is what I am thinking at the moment.

This is not a simple kilt issue; it is an issue of human dignity. Scotcop's shift manager has reacted to a minor situation with a wildly disproportional tirade, including implications that many would consider sexual harrassment.

In this situation, I would speak to the store manager, and tell her that I will no longer work when that shift manager is in the store. I would say that only a full and public apology, coupled with a change of behaviour could change that.

True, there may be perks to working in a Christian store, but that evaporates when people act in a manner unworthy of the name Christian. And, yes, I know that work can be hard to find, but working in a poisoned environment is worth a lot more than minimum wage.

If your next shift is some days off, Scotcop, I would strongly recommend sleeping on it before you do or say anything. In the meantime, it seems that you have done an admirable job of turning the other cheek.

**Tony Miles** · 7th April 10, 01:18 PM

Get a black kilt and white shirt and lawyer. Seriously this thing could earn you an early retirement or at least some nice college funds in court. Christian or not he can't do that

**shanetown** · 7th April 10, 01:31 PM

"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."

That was WAY more than 3 words...

**Brian K** · 7th April 10, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

Sorry, grew up around cattle folk.

Hee hee, Ted, you're not the only one Jeff beat to that one. I spent a lot of time on my Aunt's dairy farm as a kid and I have heard innumerable jokes based on just such a situation.

**Nighthawk** · 7th April 10, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by lethearen

Does all this discrimination talk regarding "national origin" actually apply? Because if scotcop is an American celebrating his Scottish roots... well, frankly the kilt isn't _our_ national attire.

Regardless, the way that guy handled the situation was way outta line. Sorry you have to mess with jacks like that.

Yes it does. Black people are not African, Japanese Americans are not Japanese, etc. It applies to all of us equally.The tone of our skin doesn't change that.

Originally Posted by Tony Miles

Get a black kilt and white shirt and lawyer. Seriously this thing could earn you an early retirement or at least some nice college funds in court. Christian or not he can't do that

That's a thought! You could wear that every day and not be out of uniform! Get a black rabbit fur sporran, black hose, black shoes... and say "Stick this under your lower intestine, Major!"

**Brian K** · 7th April 10, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by Kilted in Maine

So, apparently you were not in compliance with the dress code noted below.

You can take exception to HOW you were told but the fact remains you were not in compliance with the code.

Had you worn a white shirt, would not that have been within the code? If so, you may have had been left with firmer grounds to object to his "order".

Just a thought...

I work in a small grocery store as Assistant Manager. My boss and his brother own 4 groceries and a liquor store and we have an employee handbook with (mostly) specific dress code rules. We are the smallest of the groceries and the owner has allowed some variation of the dress and grooming rules based on practicalities given the fact that our staff is small and if we all dressed as prescribed there are times we would be hampered in performing some of our duties. He, the manager and I also regularly make exceptions to the rules for various practical or ethical reasons. We have a staff of about 40 - mostly part timers - and we operate in a very small town where things are pretty relaxed anyway. Most of our employees are also teens and we try to be sensitive to their needs as well as our own.

The point is that things usually are more flexible in small companies and Scotcop indicated his company is even smaller than ours. His manager gave him permission to wear the kilt so if anyone is at fault it was the manager, not Scotcop. That still doesn't let the supervisor off the hook. Even if he was the only right one, in terms of proper interpretation of the rules, he still had no call to be so abusive and demeaning in his attempt to enforce the dress/uniform code. I agree that Scotcop should get the assistant manager job - sounds like he's usually the best dressed employee anyway. Maybe the other guy is just jealous because he doesn't have the legs for the kilt

**bigdad1** · 7th April 10, 03:24 PM

It seems that regardless of whose permission you thought you had you were told by a direct supervisor that you were not to be kilted. He may well have acted like a jerk when he told you but the bottom line is he is the boss and his word is what you need to listen to. My way or the highway is applicable here. Going above his head on this, after the fact, will only serve to make him mad and you can count on him getting revenge at the first opportunity. The chain of command idea isn't just for the military it works in civilian life as well. If I were you I would count this as a lesson learned as to what kind of person he is and what the rules are, and I would move on. You have vented here so you have nothing more to gain. I imagine most of us on this forum have worked for one or more jerks in our lifetime so welcome to the club.