boss wants me to ge rid of tom woods sticker

[METAL MONKEY]

i recently started a new job on tuesday for a very small company. i'm am replacing the only engineer, so everything will fall on my shoulders. anyways, the owner/president has some rational requests of me such as dress, job performance, etc, but today he pulls me in his office and basically says he wants me to remove my "My Shafts a Woody" sticker from my hatch window :dunno:. I paused for a second, and asked why. He goes on his mumbo jumbo about possibly offending the two women co-workers or any other vendor/customer that may come to the office. it isn't a problem of removing the sticker to me, but it is more the idea that he wants me too. just from working with him the past 4 days, i have a feeling that these types of requests are just beginning. am i out of line to think that i have my own rights to keep it there, or should i try to be the "proffessional" worker and remove the sticker? I have a feeling if i just cover the sticker, he will still ride me about it. I also believe if i don't remove it he will let me go, but there are so many things that bother me about this job already that i wouldn't mind. except i really, really need the money. what to do? what to do? there is more b.s he said, but i've already said enough.

rant off

 

[sidriptide]

offer to park away from the main building or back into a spot. i assume you explained what "Woody's" is right? he really has no right to ask you to alter your personal belongings. and i think you are right to think that this is just the begining of what will probably be a regular behavior from him. decide how badly you want the job and be prepared to lay your cards on the table if you tell him no. which you are VERY righ to do. but in reality he could make things difficult for you if his "new guy" bucks the system.

tough call.

 

[Dirt]

offer to park away from the main building or back into a spot. i assume you explained what "Woody's" is right? he really has no right to ask you to alter your personal belongings. and i think you are right to think that this is just the begining of what will probably be a regular behavior from him. decide how badly you want the job and be prepared to lay your cards on the table if you tell him no. which you are VERY righ to do. but in reality he could make things difficult for you if his "new guy" bucks the system.

tough call.

x2

 

[Chero-King]

Tough call,
But its completely your property, and if he fires you over a sticker, then I dont think you'll want to be working there.
I mean, I understand that its not easy finding jobs, and it sounds like you have a decent position there, but hell, if hes firing you over a sticker then who knows what other requests hes got.

 

[ECKSJAY]

Ignore him.

 

[Dirt]

show it to him.

 

[hackedxj]

Sounds like a clear case of sexual harassment to me.

 

[RichP]

You better do two things, nip this in the bud and start looking for a better place of employment. In my career I have walked out of two jobs within the first 3 days once the boss started pulling games like that. Though he did take you aside so that means he wanted to handle it out of earshot of others, if he starts trying that stuff in front of others, run, don't walk outtta there. The flip side is he could also be very prudish and it is his company, there are people like that.

So, I guess getting you a set of balls for your receiver for xmas is out

 

[XJEEPER]

Take it off your window and apply one to each driveshaft.
The reality is that Tom knows that they are kind of rude and an obvious play on words to catch the eye for marketing purposes. Could be that your boss merely want's to establish a level of professionalism that reaches beyond the locker room humor that is attached to the sticker.
You must ask yourself......is this a battle I want to win at any cost, and what will be the outcome if you opt to draw a line in the sand?

I'm sure Tom will be happy to send you one of his pink "Show me your Woody" T-shirts for you to wear at your next job........ :laugh3:

Let us know how it works out, I suggest doing what's best for you and your family.

 

[Kejtar]

ooooh that is a good one
IMHO stick to your guns. If he fires you over a sticker, I think you should see a lawyer.
It all comes down to this: is your jeep related to your work in any way shape or form? Do you ride to visit customers in it? Do you drive your cooworkers in it for job related reasons? If you have answered no to any of those, then I do not see how he could make you remove that sticker. If you explain that to the boss and offer to park so it's not as visible (as in not right in front of the door) while not being inconvenient to you he might understand and things might be good. Anyways, look at it another way: what if you were Hispanic and had a sticker which said: "Brown Power" (I had a cooworker who had one of those) and you worked in a stricktly white neighbourhood: would your employer even dare to suggest to you that the sticker is innapropriate? Anyways, be nice, curteous when you explain it to him, but be firm, and do not threaten with a lawsuit.

 

[Kejtar]

Could be that your boss merely want's to establish a level of professionalism that reaches beyond the locker room humor that is attached to the sticker.

If he put that sticker on his monitor at work, or on a tool box that he uses at work, or on his laptop, or had it as a background on his monitor I would agree with you. In this case though, it is a vehicle that has nothing to do with work.

I was told one time that my junk looks like junk. My reply was: when I need to go to a customer (happens REALLY rarely for me) I'll consider washing it. Anyways I look at it this way: for all intents and purposes my car does not represent the company nor my level of professionalism while the way I dress, the way I carry myself while I do work, my tools and the way I perform my job does and as long as those are on the up and up... they can sit on it and rotate (can you name the tv series that overused that line ).

 

[METAL MONKEY]

my jeep has nothing to do with the company work. we are in a small building with only a handfull of parking spots. all other places to park would be surrounding businesses. i did asked him if there was another place i could park, but for the most part he responded with a smart azz response. just from talking with the few other people that work there, a customer may come into the office maybe, and i mean maybe, once a month. 99% of business is handled on the phone.
i need the job, because i'm in great need of $$$, but i believe that there are other very, very nit-picky things that he will go after. it is his company, and he has to right to run it how he likes, but i think he may turn out to be a pampus(sp?) ass. in the mean time, i am definitely still searching for other work. i do not want to work in an environment where I will be so tightly scruitenized over every little detail. the guy seem great during the interview, but who knows. besides, the benefits he gives aren't that great.

 

[METAL MONKEY]

forgot to mention that the person that i am replacing is done monday. so, if he fires me, he will be out to dry. he knows how to handle the business aspect obviously, but for the most part he has no clue on the engineering half.

 

[Kejtar]

my jeep has nothing to do with the company work. we are in a small building with only a handfull of parking spots. all other places to park would be surrounding businesses. i did asked him if there was another place i could park, but for the most part he responded with a smart azz response. just from talking with the few other people that work there, a customer may come into the office maybe, and i mean maybe, once a month. 99% of business is handled on the phone.
i need the job, because i'm in great need of $$$, but i believe that there are other very, very nit-picky things that he will go after. it is his company, and he has to right to run it how he likes, but i think he may turn out to be a pampus(sp?) ass. in the mean time, i am definitely still searching for other work. i do not want to work in an environment where I will be so tightly scruitenized over every little detail. the guy seem great during the interview, but who knows. besides, the benefits he gives aren't that great.

Than keep the sticker and if you get canned for it, the settlement might allow you to comfortably search for a new place of employment

 

[METAL MONKEY]

Than keep the sticker and if you get canned for it, the settlement might allow you to comfortably search for a new place of employment

just curious, but would i really have a viable case over a sticker?

 

[Kejtar]

just curious, but would i really have a viable case over a sticker?

While that is really a question best directed to a lawyer, IMHO you would: harassment (unless there was something in the contracts that you signed when you got hired that said they can control your life). Your sticker is not obscene, but it's an inside joke: if they don't get it, oh well. What you would have to be carefull of though is not to get canned for another slipup (work related screwup).

 

[8Mud]

My philosophy when going to work for a new company, is that I play the game by there rules, keep a low profile and my opinions to myself for the first three years or so. I usually end up as the company chump in those three years, then things get interesting. Opinions start popping out all over the place.
I'm sure not gonna advise you to follow my lead, but one new boss told me to shave. A couple of days later, he said I thought I told you to shave, I said I did. My chest, my armpits and my crotch. But the beard stays, thats the way God designed me, that's the way I'll stay. He then told me they had grooming standards and my hair was too long. He suggested I get a hair cut just like his, told him I used to have one, but shaved it off, at his request. Having a reputation for competency, reliability and honesty will let you get away with a lot of stuff, but first you have to earn your reputation.

 

[mack]

tell him to go $hit in his hat, take the sticker off and slap it to his forehead, all while telling him to go take a slide down a "woody" at the nearest truckstop!
just my .02

 

[BrettM]

tell him the sticker stays, but you'd be happy to drive a company vehicle to and from work.

 

[METAL MONKEY]

tell him to go $hit in his hat, take the sticker off and slap it to his forehead, all while telling him to go take a slide down a "woody" at the nearest truckstop!
just my .02

a thought like that has definitely crossed my mind once or twice.:laugh3: