http://dougpowers.com/2009/10/26/home-depot/

Trevor Keezer had worn a button with an America Flag as the background and saying the words "One Nation under God...indivisible!" for about a year. He had also started taking a Bible to work to read on breaks. Home Depot fired him for refusing to remove the button. Should patriotic Americans who shop at Home Depot switch their business somewhere else? Let the debate begin -

I'll be going to Lowe's from now on..even though it's about a mile and a half further up the road...

Craig Fishel, a spokesperson for The Home Depot, said he could not comment on specific personnel issues, but added:

"The company's dress code policy states that we do not allow non-company buttons, regardless of their message or content."

Fishel says Home Depot has a "proud history" of supporting the military, and that it sanctions several of its own buttons for employees to wear, including one that reads: "United We Stand."

Fishel says the company gives employees several warnings when they violate the dress policy before terminating them.

***http://www.ksdk.com/news/world/story.aspx?storyid=188254&catid=28]http://www.ksdk.com/news/world...ryid=188254&catid=28***

Being in the middle of a home renovation, I for one am not going to drive by the Home Depot that is on my way home from work over something like this.

quote:

Craig Fishel, a spokesman for The Home Depot, said he could not comment on specific personnel issues, but added, "The company's dress code policy states that we do not allow noncompany buttons, regardless of their message or content."

Fishel says Home Depot has a "proud history" of supporting the military, and that it sanctions several of its own buttons for employees to wear, including one that reads: "United We Stand."

Keezer said he preferred to wear his button because "you can't have country without God. Every pin they showed me had no 'God' on it or anything."

Fishel says the company gives employees several warnings when they violate the dress policy before terminating them.

But Keezer says, "It never crossed my mind to take off the button because I'm standing for something that's bigger than I am. They kept telling me the severity of what you're doing and I just let God be in control and went with His plan."

<more>

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-button-fired-bn102609,0,3892174.story

Well now ... seems to me he turned it over to God and God didn't want him to work at Home Depot anymore. Too bad, so sad. Wrong place and wrong time to make his "statement" ... IMHO.

As a side note ... it seems to me that Keezer was pushing the limits of mixing his job with his religion - supposed to be pushing 2x4s, not God.

It should be noted that he started wearing the button to support his brother, who is an Army Sergeant fighting in the Middle East - -

We shall see - -

...And he had already worn it for a year and a half. Home Depot waited a year and a half to enforce company policy? Something's fishy.

quote:

Originally posted by greywolfghost:
It should be noted that he started wearing the button to support his brother, who is an Army Sergeant fighting in the Middle East - -

We shall see - -

Fishel says Home Depot has a "proud history" of supporting the military, and that it sanctions several of its own buttons for employees to wear, including one that reads: "United We Stand."

quote:

"United We Stand."

for what, however?

Seems to me that he had more than one warning AND given a choice of buttons that Home Depot allows. Even he admits to these facts.

quote:

Originally posted by psychoABN:
...And he had already worn it for a year and a half. Home Depot waited a year and a half to enforce company policy? Something's fishy.

"Misunderstandings and neglect occasion more mischief in the world than even malice and wickedness. At all events, the two latter are of less frequent occurrence."

-Goethe

quote:

Originally posted by Woody_in_La:
Seems to me that he had more than one warning AND given a choice of buttons that Home Depot allows. Even he admits to these facts.

Yepper. I've supported the employer on too many other threads dealing with less clear dress policy than this to compromise my position now for some nutjob that wants to wear his religion on his lapel.

Wonder how much support he'd be getting here if the pin read "GLBT for Christ"?

quote:

Originally posted by psychoABN:
...And he had already worn it for a year and a half. Home Depot waited a year and a half to enforce company policy? Something's fishy.

It might be that the button in question had never been seen by a regional manager and when it was, the issue was brought to the store manager who HAD to do something then. Or, maybe they got a new store manager that who is by the book and started addressing the issue?

Does "salutary neglect" for over a year equate to de facto acceptance? Will this end up as a First Amendment question and fight? Will he get his job back? Isn't it Home Depot that promotes its "Patriotism" by giving jobs to Olympic Athletes?

By the way let's not forget, the phrase comes from the Government sanctioned "Pledge of Allegiance" - -

If the rules say no buttons, then it's no buttons. As long as the employee knew the policy, was warned & continued to do it, then it's on him.

quote:

Originally posted by Woody_in_La:

quote:

Originally posted by psychoABN:
...And he had already worn it for a year and a half. Home Depot waited a year and a half to enforce company policy? Something's fishy.

It might be that the button in question had never been seen by a regional manager and when it was, the issue was brought to the store manager who HAD to do something then. Or, maybe they got a new store manager that who is by the book and started addressing the issue?

While that may be, I suspect they chose to ignore the pin until he started expanding his mix of work and religion ...

quote:

Then, last month, when he started bringing his Bible to work, Keezer says his manager confronted him about the button.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-button-fired-bn102609,0,3892174.story

The employee is there to work not to push his religion! I go to Home Depot to purchase building materials not to have someone push religion on my face. Religion has a place but don't take it to extremes.

I don't see any harm in reading the Bible on a work break, I'm sure if someone brought a Koran, no one would say a word.
But seeing as how Home Depot did have an alternate and approved button, that's the one he should've worn. I can't wear anything I want to work. In light of learning more about the situation, I retract my earlier statement.

Perhaps he got a new manager, and that's why it took a year. All I know is that, just like retailers that don't allow toys for tots or the salvation army to solicit at their stores because they may then have to end their "no solicitation" policy altogether, a retailer would be, well, retarded to allow employees to start wearing political and/or religious messages on their uniform aprons.

This is kind of a "duh" moment. If you think Lowes would have been any different - wait a while. It will happen to them too, just like it happens to every major nationwide retailer. Some nut case will decide that store policy doesn't apply to him because he believes in God, and then he'll call the media to ***** when all he needed to do was follow the example of Jesus and follow the friggin rules. ("render unto Caesar" and all that...)

How about those muslim taxicab drivers who refused to drive people in Minnesota a couple years back. Were they justified? How is this different?

quote:

Originally posted by Vanir97:
The employee is there to work not to push his religion! I go to Home Depot to purchase building materials not to have someone push religion on my face. Religion has a place but don't take it to extremes.

Amen pass the 16d s

Actual button in question: