I got fired today... guess I'm the biggest April's fool

[Blood$]

you must not have read when I said that this manager came back recently, meaning he almost never seen me work and therefore didn't have any know as to if I was "good" or "bad", he told me I was let go because he is strictly going by the book

any of the other managers there would't have fired me you can bet that, and I'm not surprised if I get a call from them in a few days

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

I have owned and ran a small business.  Trust me, a good employee is worth keeping around and you will put up w/ a lot of bullshit because good workers are very hard to find.  Bad workers or avg workers on the other hand come a dime a dozen.  They can be replaced within hours.

You are failing to see both sides of the situation.  I've been on both sides as an Employer and an Employee.

Owned or managed...its the same idea. My paychecks were directly related to the profit of the store. I was in charge of all hiring, firing, suspending, training...etc.  So yeah, a good employee is valueable.  But in a fast food environment...employees are a dime a dozen.  You are typically hoping for someone who is simply productive and shows up to work.  The bottom line tho...is no matter what the rules, you have to hold people to the same standards.  You cant fire one guy for something...that you didnt fire another one for. Unless you wanna be sued.

[acgrundy]

Hmmm...not quite sure what I am missing here, but I certainly don't share the same viewpoints...

You admitted to stealing hella food, and getting written up for breaking other policy rules.  How exactly is your employer doing you wrong?

never caught for stealing food....so it didnt happen  . I can guarantee you everyone of us has broken 1...if not several rules at our jobs.  Not always a fireable offense.  At a fast food joint...firing someone for having their blue tooth in...a couple write ups for untucked shirt...and being late once lol  Shit...at most of those places thats a weeks worth of offenses for one employee.

exactamundo... and everybody there including the managers takes food for free anyways, we just can't be seen doing it

Again, you are stealing.  Taking what is not yours.  Are you seriously that delusional that you don't see the wrong on your end here?  It doesn't matter if everybody does it...it is still stealing.  If there was nothing wrong with it, then you wouldn't have to "not be seen doing it".  If you continue with that logic and attitude, not only will you not get a decent job, but you will get fired in the future.

You want to steal?  Fine...its not the worst thing ever.  But don't shift the blame to someone else.  Take accountability for your actions.

man cmon. You sound like a computer. Every company has policies that have a gray line...and its pretty much accepted that those lines are blurry...and can be crossed and it is ok. When youre boss...or even your bosses boss crosses those lines because it is considered acceptable even while being outside of the RULES...it IS unfair to then hold ONE person accountable while no one else is.  As a matter of fact, you would have a good case for unlawful termination at that point.

If there is one thing that I am 100% certain on, it is that life is not fair.  If I go out and gamble and lose all my money, I'm not going to blame the casino.  That was my choice.  Yes, I had a chance to win, I took the risk, and I lost.  Now I suffer the consequences.

Same thing with breaking the rules or laws.  I break rules and laws all the time - however I know full well what it is that I am doing, and I am aware that risk comes with it, and if I get caught then I face the chance of dealing with those consequences.

Do I think what he did was some horrible crime?  Absolutely not.  But he did break the rules, and therefore his risk didn't quite payoff.  I mean, he got rewarded w/ all that free food that he stole...so maybe it did.

[acgrundy]

I have owned and ran a small business.  Trust me, a good employee is worth keeping around and you will put up w/ a lot of bullshit because good workers are very hard to find.  Bad workers or avg workers on the other hand come a dime a dozen.  They can be replaced within hours.

You are failing to see both sides of the situation.  I've been on both sides as an Employer and an Employee.

Owned or managed...its the same idea. My paychecks were directly related to the profit of the store. I was in charge of all hiring, firing, suspending, training...etc.  So yeah, a good employee is valueable.  But in a fast food environment...employees are a dime a dozen.  You are typically hoping for someone who is simply productive and shows up to work.  The bottom line tho...is no matter what the rules, you have to hold people to the same standards.  You cant fire one guy for something...that you didnt fire another one for. Unless you wanna be sued.

An employer should need no reason for firing other than they don't want that employee working there.  That is a real free market.  Its the bullshit fucking litigation in this country that causes all kinds of worthless people to hang on to jobs forever and make it damn near impossible to get rid of bad employees.

If I am an employer and I hire you and you work for several months and I decide that you are not the employee that I was looking for, I should be able to fire you for no reason at all...I shouldn't have to search for some stupid excuse like you were wearing your blue tooth.

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

Hmmm...not quite sure what I am missing here, but I certainly don't share the same viewpoints...

You admitted to stealing hella food, and getting written up for breaking other policy rules.  How exactly is your employer doing you wrong?

never caught for stealing food....so it didnt happen  . I can guarantee you everyone of us has broken 1...if not several rules at our jobs.  Not always a fireable offense.  At a fast food joint...firing someone for having their blue tooth in...a couple write ups for untucked shirt...and being late once lol  Shit...at most of those places thats a weeks worth of offenses for one employee.

exactamundo... and everybody there including the managers takes food for free anyways, we just can't be seen doing it

Again, you are stealing.  Taking what is not yours.  Are you seriously that delusional that you don't see the wrong on your end here?  It doesn't matter if everybody does it...it is still stealing.  If there was nothing wrong with it, then you wouldn't have to "not be seen doing it".  If you continue with that logic and attitude, not only will you not get a decent job, but you will get fired in the future.

You want to steal?  Fine...its not the worst thing ever.  But don't shift the blame to someone else.  Take accountability for your actions.

man cmon. You sound like a computer. Every company has policies that have a gray line...and its pretty much accepted that those lines are blurry...and can be crossed and it is ok. When youre boss...or even your bosses boss crosses those lines because it is considered acceptable even while being outside of the RULES...it IS unfair to then hold ONE person accountable while no one else is.  As a matter of fact, you would have a good case for unlawful termination at that point.

If there is one thing that I am 100% certain on, it is that life is not fair.  If I go out and gamble and lose all my money, I'm not going to blame the casino.  That was my choice.  Yes, I had a chance to win, I took the risk, and I lost.  Now I suffer the consequences.

Same thing with breaking the rules or laws.  I break rules and laws all the time - however I know full well what it is that I am doing, and I am aware that risk comes with it, and if I get caught then I face the chance of dealing with those consequences.

Do I think what he did was some horrible crime?  Absolutely not.  But he did break the rules, and therefore his risk didn't quite payoff.  I mean, he got rewarded w/ all that free food that he stole...so maybe it did.

You must be quite the "yes man".  lol

You say that others arent looking at things from both sides of the argument...but it sounds like youre not.  Its one thing when there are clear cut rules...and you simply chose to break a rule.  Its another thing when the enforcer of the rule...your superior, breaks those rules and creates a culture where that rule is no longer valid. At that point...it IS unfair for that superior to then fire YOU solely for rules that are no longer being enforced by them....and even broken by them.  Again...a good case for unlawful termination.

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

I have owned and ran a small business.  Trust me, a good employee is worth keeping around and you will put up w/ a lot of bullshit because good workers are very hard to find.  Bad workers or avg workers on the other hand come a dime a dozen.  They can be replaced within hours.

You are failing to see both sides of the situation.  I've been on both sides as an Employer and an Employee.

Owned or managed...its the same idea. My paychecks were directly related to the profit of the store. I was in charge of all hiring, firing, suspending, training...etc.  So yeah, a good employee is valueable.  But in a fast food environment...employees are a dime a dozen.  You are typically hoping for someone who is simply productive and shows up to work.  The bottom line tho...is no matter what the rules, you have to hold people to the same standards.  You cant fire one guy for something...that you didnt fire another one for. Unless you wanna be sued.

An employer should need no reason for firing other than they don't want that employee working there.  That is a real free market.  Its the bullshit fucking litigation in this country that causes all kinds of worthless people to hang on to jobs forever and make it damn near impossible to get rid of bad employees.

If I am an employer and I hire you and you work for several months and I decide that you are not the employee that I was looking for, I should be able to fire you for no reason at all...I shouldn't have to search for some stupid excuse like you were wearing your blue tooth.

its what protects employers from unfairly firing people for absolutely no reason....or more importantly...for something like race, religion, etc.  Particularly in a lopsided society.

[acgrundy]

Hmmm...not quite sure what I am missing here, but I certainly don't share the same viewpoints...

You admitted to stealing hella food, and getting written up for breaking other policy rules.  How exactly is your employer doing you wrong?

never caught for stealing food....so it didnt happen  . I can guarantee you everyone of us has broken 1...if not several rules at our jobs.  Not always a fireable offense.  At a fast food joint...firing someone for having their blue tooth in...a couple write ups for untucked shirt...and being late once lol  Shit...at most of those places thats a weeks worth of offenses for one employee.

exactamundo... and everybody there including the managers takes food for free anyways, we just can't be seen doing it

Again, you are stealing.  Taking what is not yours.  Are you seriously that delusional that you don't see the wrong on your end here?  It doesn't matter if everybody does it...it is still stealing.  If there was nothing wrong with it, then you wouldn't have to "not be seen doing it".  If you continue with that logic and attitude, not only will you not get a decent job, but you will get fired in the future.

You want to steal?  Fine...its not the worst thing ever.  But don't shift the blame to someone else.  Take accountability for your actions.

man cmon. You sound like a computer. Every company has policies that have a gray line...and its pretty much accepted that those lines are blurry...and can be crossed and it is ok. When youre boss...or even your bosses boss crosses those lines because it is considered acceptable even while being outside of the RULES...it IS unfair to then hold ONE person accountable while no one else is.  As a matter of fact, you would have a good case for unlawful termination at that point.

If there is one thing that I am 100% certain on, it is that life is not fair.  If I go out and gamble and lose all my money, I'm not going to blame the casino.  That was my choice.  Yes, I had a chance to win, I took the risk, and I lost.  Now I suffer the consequences.

Same thing with breaking the rules or laws.  I break rules and laws all the time - however I know full well what it is that I am doing, and I am aware that risk comes with it, and if I get caught then I face the chance of dealing with those consequences.

Do I think what he did was some horrible crime?  Absolutely not.  But he did break the rules, and therefore his risk didn't quite payoff.  I mean, he got rewarded w/ all that free food that he stole...so maybe it did.

You must be quite the "yes man".  lol

You say that others arent looking at things from both sides of the argument...but it sounds like youre not.  Its one thing when there are clear cut rules...and you simply chose to break a rule.  Its another thing when the enforcer of the rule...your superior, breaks those rules and creates a culture where that rule is no longer valid. At that point...it IS unfair for that superior to then fire YOU solely for rules that are no longer being enforced by them....and even broken by them.  Again...a good case for unlawful termination.

I'm not a yes man at all...I'm a good employee

Like I said, good employees are hard to come by.  Bad and avg employees come a dime a dozen.  If there is one resource the world is not short on, it is supply of labor.

And again - life isn't fair.  As long as you live your life considering whether things are fair or unfair, then you are going to face frustration.  Life will never be fair.

[acgrundy]

I have owned and ran a small business.  Trust me, a good employee is worth keeping around and you will put up w/ a lot of bullshit because good workers are very hard to find.  Bad workers or avg workers on the other hand come a dime a dozen.  They can be replaced within hours.

You are failing to see both sides of the situation.  I've been on both sides as an Employer and an Employee.

Owned or managed...its the same idea. My paychecks were directly related to the profit of the store. I was in charge of all hiring, firing, suspending, training...etc.  So yeah, a good employee is valueable.  But in a fast food environment...employees are a dime a dozen.  You are typically hoping for someone who is simply productive and shows up to work.  The bottom line tho...is no matter what the rules, you have to hold people to the same standards.  You cant fire one guy for something...that you didnt fire another one for. Unless you wanna be sued.

An employer should need no reason for firing other than they don't want that employee working there.  That is a real free market.  Its the bullshit fucking litigation in this country that causes all kinds of worthless people to hang on to jobs forever and make it damn near impossible to get rid of bad employees.

If I am an employer and I hire you and you work for several months and I decide that you are not the employee that I was looking for, I should be able to fire you for no reason at all...I shouldn't have to search for some stupid excuse like you were wearing your blue tooth.

its what protects employers from unfairly firing people for absolutely no reason....or more importantly...for something like race, religion, etc.  Particularly in a lopsided society.

Well in a real free market those ppl would never be fired because they never would have been hired in the first place.  If I don't like your race and I don't want to hire you and I own the business, why should anyone other than me make the call of who I hire?  In the end as the business owner I am responsible for all debts, and I am the one who put all the risk in forming the business.  The fact that I am racist - yes, that is a moral issue, but the free market is about business, not morals.

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

Hmmm...not quite sure what I am missing here, but I certainly don't share the same viewpoints...

You admitted to stealing hella food, and getting written up for breaking other policy rules.  How exactly is your employer doing you wrong?

never caught for stealing food....so it didnt happen  . I can guarantee you everyone of us has broken 1...if not several rules at our jobs.  Not always a fireable offense.  At a fast food joint...firing someone for having their blue tooth in...a couple write ups for untucked shirt...and being late once lol  Shit...at most of those places thats a weeks worth of offenses for one employee.

exactamundo... and everybody there including the managers takes food for free anyways, we just can't be seen doing it

Again, you are stealing.  Taking what is not yours.  Are you seriously that delusional that you don't see the wrong on your end here?  It doesn't matter if everybody does it...it is still stealing.  If there was nothing wrong with it, then you wouldn't have to "not be seen doing it".  If you continue with that logic and attitude, not only will you not get a decent job, but you will get fired in the future.

You want to steal?  Fine...its not the worst thing ever.  But don't shift the blame to someone else.  Take accountability for your actions.

man cmon. You sound like a computer. Every company has policies that have a gray line...and its pretty much accepted that those lines are blurry...and can be crossed and it is ok. When youre boss...or even your bosses boss crosses those lines because it is considered acceptable even while being outside of the RULES...it IS unfair to then hold ONE person accountable while no one else is.  As a matter of fact, you would have a good case for unlawful termination at that point.

If there is one thing that I am 100% certain on, it is that life is not fair.  If I go out and gamble and lose all my money, I'm not going to blame the casino.  That was my choice.  Yes, I had a chance to win, I took the risk, and I lost.  Now I suffer the consequences.

Same thing with breaking the rules or laws.  I break rules and laws all the time - however I know full well what it is that I am doing, and I am aware that risk comes with it, and if I get caught then I face the chance of dealing with those consequences.

Do I think what he did was some horrible crime?  Absolutely not.  But he did break the rules, and therefore his risk didn't quite payoff.  I mean, he got rewarded w/ all that free food that he stole...so maybe it did.

You must be quite the "yes man".  lol

You say that others arent looking at things from both sides of the argument...but it sounds like youre not.  Its one thing when there are clear cut rules...and you simply chose to break a rule.  Its another thing when the enforcer of the rule...your superior, breaks those rules and creates a culture where that rule is no longer valid. At that point...it IS unfair for that superior to then fire YOU solely for rules that are no longer being enforced by them....and even broken by them.  Again...a good case for unlawful termination.

I'm not a yes man at all...I'm a good employee

Like I said, good employees are hard to come by.  Bad and avg employees come a dime a dozen.  If there is one resource the world is not short on, it is supply of labor.

And again - life isn't fair.  As long as you live your life considering whether things are fair or unfair, then you are going to face frustration.  Life will never be fair.

Life wont be fair. But your employer should be. Which is why there are laws to enforce it. If youre so "by the book", then youre also all for that same employee turning around and suing their former employer.  You being a good employee is your opinion.  Im guessing if your boss was to say...."hey...just so you know, we are letting you go because you were 1 minute late yesterday....even though Sally next to you has been late 20 times and you perform at the same level....sorry. Life isnt fair".  You will be perfectly fine with that....because life isnt fair.

[Blood$]

Hmmm...not quite sure what I am missing here, but I certainly don't share the same viewpoints...

You admitted to stealing hella food, and getting written up for breaking other policy rules.  How exactly is your employer doing you wrong?

never caught for stealing food....so it didnt happen  . I can guarantee you everyone of us has broken 1...if not several rules at our jobs.  Not always a fireable offense.  At a fast food joint...firing someone for having their blue tooth in...a couple write ups for untucked shirt...and being late once lol  Shit...at most of those places thats a weeks worth of offenses for one employee.

exactamundo... and everybody there including the managers takes food for free anyways, we just can't be seen doing it

Again, you are stealing.  Taking what is not yours.  Are you seriously that delusional that you don't see the wrong on your end here?  It doesn't matter if everybody does it...it is still stealing.  If there was nothing wrong with it, then you wouldn't have to "not be seen doing it".  If you continue with that logic and attitude, not only will you not get a decent job, but you will get fired in the future.

You want to steal?  Fine...its not the worst thing ever.  But don't shift the blame to someone else.  Take accountability for your actions.

man cmon. You sound like a computer. Every company has policies that have a gray line...and its pretty much accepted that those lines are blurry...and can be crossed and it is ok. When youre boss...or even your bosses boss crosses those lines because it is considered acceptable even while being outside of the RULES...it IS unfair to then hold ONE person accountable while no one else is.  As a matter of fact, you would have a good case for unlawful termination at that point.

If there is one thing that I am 100% certain on, it is that life is not fair.  If I go out and gamble and lose all my money, I'm not going to blame the casino.  That was my choice.  Yes, I had a chance to win, I took the risk, and I lost.  Now I suffer the consequences.

Same thing with breaking the rules or laws.  I break rules and laws all the time - however I know full well what it is that I am doing, and I am aware that risk comes with it, and if I get caught then I face the chance of dealing with those consequences.

Do I think what he did was some horrible crime?  Absolutely not.  But he did break the rules, and therefore his risk didn't quite payoff.  I mean, he got rewarded w/ all that free food that he stole...so maybe it did.

You must be quite the "yes man".  lol

You say that others arent looking at things from both sides of the argument...but it sounds like youre not.  Its one thing when there are clear cut rules...and you simply chose to break a rule.  Its another thing when the enforcer of the rule...your superior, breaks those rules and creates a culture where that rule is no longer valid. At that point...it IS unfair for that superior to then fire YOU solely for rules that are no longer being enforced by them....and even broken by them.  Again...a good case for unlawful termination.

I'm not a yes man at all...I'm a good employee

Like I said, good employees are hard to come by.  Bad and avg employees come a dime a dozen.  If there is one resource the world is not short on, it is supply of labor.

And again - life isn't fair.  As long as you live your life considering whether things are fair or unfair, then you are going to face frustration.  Life will never be fair.

Life wont be fair. But your employer should be. Which is why there are laws to enforce it. If youre so "by the book", then youre also all for that same employee turning around and suing their former employer.  You being a good employee is your opinion.  Im guessing if your boss was to say...."hey...just so you know, we are letting you go because you were 1 minute late yesterday....even though Sally next to you has been late 20 times and you perform at the same level....sorry. Life isnt fair".  You will be perfectly fine with that....because life isnt fair.

yeah he will be, as long as it makes him a good employee 

[K.Dub]

the best part is that now u can be a customer...and come back in at least once a week....complain about the food and the service...and send in complaints about that specific manager on his customer service.

Then tell people as u walk out...that u used to work there, and they shit in the taco meat...

This

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

the best part is that now u can be a customer...and come back in at least once a week....complain about the food and the service...and send in complaints about that specific manager on his customer service.

Then tell people as u walk out...that u used to work there, and they shit in the taco meat...

This

the look on their faces as their biting into their Beefy 5-layer Burrito will be priceless...

[acgrundy]

Hmmm...not quite sure what I am missing here, but I certainly don't share the same viewpoints...

You admitted to stealing hella food, and getting written up for breaking other policy rules.  How exactly is your employer doing you wrong?

never caught for stealing food....so it didnt happen  . I can guarantee you everyone of us has broken 1...if not several rules at our jobs.  Not always a fireable offense.  At a fast food joint...firing someone for having their blue tooth in...a couple write ups for untucked shirt...and being late once lol  Shit...at most of those places thats a weeks worth of offenses for one employee.

exactamundo... and everybody there including the managers takes food for free anyways, we just can't be seen doing it

Again, you are stealing.  Taking what is not yours.  Are you seriously that delusional that you don't see the wrong on your end here?  It doesn't matter if everybody does it...it is still stealing.  If there was nothing wrong with it, then you wouldn't have to "not be seen doing it".  If you continue with that logic and attitude, not only will you not get a decent job, but you will get fired in the future.

You want to steal?  Fine...its not the worst thing ever.  But don't shift the blame to someone else.  Take accountability for your actions.

man cmon. You sound like a computer. Every company has policies that have a gray line...and its pretty much accepted that those lines are blurry...and can be crossed and it is ok. When youre boss...or even your bosses boss crosses those lines because it is considered acceptable even while being outside of the RULES...it IS unfair to then hold ONE person accountable while no one else is.  As a matter of fact, you would have a good case for unlawful termination at that point.

If there is one thing that I am 100% certain on, it is that life is not fair.  If I go out and gamble and lose all my money, I'm not going to blame the casino.  That was my choice.  Yes, I had a chance to win, I took the risk, and I lost.  Now I suffer the consequences.

Same thing with breaking the rules or laws.  I break rules and laws all the time - however I know full well what it is that I am doing, and I am aware that risk comes with it, and if I get caught then I face the chance of dealing with those consequences.

Do I think what he did was some horrible crime?  Absolutely not.  But he did break the rules, and therefore his risk didn't quite payoff.  I mean, he got rewarded w/ all that free food that he stole...so maybe it did.

You must be quite the "yes man".  lol

You say that others arent looking at things from both sides of the argument...but it sounds like youre not.  Its one thing when there are clear cut rules...and you simply chose to break a rule.  Its another thing when the enforcer of the rule...your superior, breaks those rules and creates a culture where that rule is no longer valid. At that point...it IS unfair for that superior to then fire YOU solely for rules that are no longer being enforced by them....and even broken by them.  Again...a good case for unlawful termination.

I'm not a yes man at all...I'm a good employee

Like I said, good employees are hard to come by.  Bad and avg employees come a dime a dozen.  If there is one resource the world is not short on, it is supply of labor.

And again - life isn't fair.  As long as you live your life considering whether things are fair or unfair, then you are going to face frustration.  Life will never be fair.

Life wont be fair. But your employer should be. Which is why there are laws to enforce it. If youre so "by the book", then youre also all for that same employee turning around and suing their former employer.  You being a good employee is your opinion.  Im guessing if your boss was to say...."hey...just so you know, we are letting you go because you were 1 minute late yesterday....even though Sally next to you has been late 20 times and you perform at the same level....sorry. Life isnt fair".  You will be perfectly fine with that....because life isnt fair.

of course I wouldn't be happy about it.  I never said anything about that.  I certainly would not sue.  I also wouldn't be happy with the money that I lost gambling at the casino.  I understand that life isn't fair, that doesn't mean that I don't have emotions and I don't get mad at things, I just realize accountability.

Just as I would be pissed off as all hell if I got a speeding ticket for going 1 mph over the speed limit.  It sucks, but nobody forced me to drive faster than the speed limit.  I chose to do that.  Whether I ignored the possible consequences is a different question.  And sometimes I do ignore the possible consequences, and I regret it.

I also am a realist.  I know that a good employee will not be fired for being 1 minute late.  I also know that there is a massive difference between being 1 min late 1 time, and stealing and being written up multiple times.

like you said, not everything is black and white.  I'm simply saying that in this situation it doesn't sound like this guy was being Mr. Employee of the Month, and his manager was a shady dirt bag who gave him the shaft.

[Blood$]

the ironic part about all of this is my one manager gave me a "champs" card which is basically the opposite of a write up and you get it for working hard, and then a few hours later is when I got written up for the Bluetooth lol

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

Hmmm...not quite sure what I am missing here, but I certainly don't share the same viewpoints...

You admitted to stealing hella food, and getting written up for breaking other policy rules.  How exactly is your employer doing you wrong?

never caught for stealing food....so it didnt happen  . I can guarantee you everyone of us has broken 1...if not several rules at our jobs.  Not always a fireable offense.  At a fast food joint...firing someone for having their blue tooth in...a couple write ups for untucked shirt...and being late once lol  Shit...at most of those places thats a weeks worth of offenses for one employee.

exactamundo... and everybody there including the managers takes food for free anyways, we just can't be seen doing it

Again, you are stealing.  Taking what is not yours.  Are you seriously that delusional that you don't see the wrong on your end here?  It doesn't matter if everybody does it...it is still stealing.  If there was nothing wrong with it, then you wouldn't have to "not be seen doing it".  If you continue with that logic and attitude, not only will you not get a decent job, but you will get fired in the future.

You want to steal?  Fine...its not the worst thing ever.  But don't shift the blame to someone else.  Take accountability for your actions.

man cmon. You sound like a computer. Every company has policies that have a gray line...and its pretty much accepted that those lines are blurry...and can be crossed and it is ok. When youre boss...or even your bosses boss crosses those lines because it is considered acceptable even while being outside of the RULES...it IS unfair to then hold ONE person accountable while no one else is.  As a matter of fact, you would have a good case for unlawful termination at that point.

If there is one thing that I am 100% certain on, it is that life is not fair.  If I go out and gamble and lose all my money, I'm not going to blame the casino.  That was my choice.  Yes, I had a chance to win, I took the risk, and I lost.  Now I suffer the consequences.

Same thing with breaking the rules or laws.  I break rules and laws all the time - however I know full well what it is that I am doing, and I am aware that risk comes with it, and if I get caught then I face the chance of dealing with those consequences.

Do I think what he did was some horrible crime?  Absolutely not.  But he did break the rules, and therefore his risk didn't quite payoff.  I mean, he got rewarded w/ all that free food that he stole...so maybe it did.

You must be quite the "yes man".  lol

You say that others arent looking at things from both sides of the argument...but it sounds like youre not.  Its one thing when there are clear cut rules...and you simply chose to break a rule.  Its another thing when the enforcer of the rule...your superior, breaks those rules and creates a culture where that rule is no longer valid. At that point...it IS unfair for that superior to then fire YOU solely for rules that are no longer being enforced by them....and even broken by them.  Again...a good case for unlawful termination.

I'm not a yes man at all...I'm a good employee

Like I said, good employees are hard to come by.  Bad and avg employees come a dime a dozen.  If there is one resource the world is not short on, it is supply of labor.

And again - life isn't fair.  As long as you live your life considering whether things are fair or unfair, then you are going to face frustration.  Life will never be fair.

Life wont be fair. But your employer should be. Which is why there are laws to enforce it. If youre so "by the book", then youre also all for that same employee turning around and suing their former employer.  You being a good employee is your opinion.  Im guessing if your boss was to say...."hey...just so you know, we are letting you go because you were 1 minute late yesterday....even though Sally next to you has been late 20 times and you perform at the same level....sorry. Life isnt fair".  You will be perfectly fine with that....because life isnt fair.

of course I wouldn't be happy about it.  I never said anything about that.  I certainly would not sue.  I also wouldn't be happy with the money that I lost gambling at the casino.  I understand that life isn't fair, that doesn't mean that I don't have emotions and I don't get mad at things, I just realize accountability.

Just as I would be pissed off as all hell if I got a speeding ticket for going 1 mph over the speed limit.  It sucks, but nobody forced me to drive faster than the speed limit.  I chose to do that.  Whether I ignored the possible consequences is a different question.  And sometimes I do ignore the possible consequences, and I regret it.

I also am a realist.  I know that a good employee will not be fired for being 1 minute late.  I also know that there is a massive difference between being 1 min late 1 time, and stealing and being written up multiple times.

like you said, not everything is black and white.  I'm simply saying that in this situation it doesn't sound like this guy was being Mr. Employee of the Month, and his manager was a shady dirt bag who gave him the shaft.

I get what youre sayin man.  I just think there are rules...and unwritten rules. And as an employer its your job to provide a fair working environment for your employees. In my case...what everyone was doing was technically considered stealing food.  But it was accepted company wide by my bosses...and my boss's bosses. It would have been completely wrong to fire one person for theft...without firing everyone else who did it.  You can either go strictly by the book...or not.  But if you do...then you have to do it for everyone...and always. Or you do run the risk of being sued...and thats a reality. So if youre a realist you have to accept that as well.