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So say four former employees of the Elizabeth R. Wellborn P.A. law firm in Deerfield Beach who were terminated after they came to work in orange shirts on Friday, the company’s pay day, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
See the original story at NBCMiami.com
They said they’ve worn orange shirts on pay days for the past few months so they would look like a group when they went out afterward for happy hour, the newspaper reported. Janice Doble, 50, of Sunrise said she was looking forward to the gathering after a busy week.
“Orange happens to be my favorite color. My patio is orange," she told the paper. “My lipstick was orange today.”
Unfortunately for Doble and 13 other employees, an executive viewed things very differently. He told them that he understood there was a protest involving orange, and because they were all wearing the color, they were fired, the Sun Sentinel reported.
One person immediately denied being part of a protest and explained the happy hour connection, but after the law firm’s honchos discussed the matter outside the room, they returned and said everyone was fired, said Lou Erik Ambert, a litigation paralegal.
"There is no office policy against wearing orange shirts. We had no warning. We got no severance, no package, no nothing," said Ambert, 31, of Coconut Creek. "I feel so violated."
A spokeswoman for the firm said it had “no comment at this time,” according to the Sun Sentinel.
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"They said they’ve worn orange shirts on pay days for the past few months so they would look like a group when they went out afterward for happy hour..." So no one figured out that they could change shirts after work?
It really sounds like a key part of the story is missing.
That was the day before Saint Patrick's Day. Orange, by the way, is a color that we of Irish heritage aren't supposed to allow to appear on the table on Saint Patrick's Day. Carrot's for example, can be cooked with cabbage to reduce bitterness, but the carrots can't be served. That's because Orange is the color of the Protestants who conquered Ireland for Britain and of Northern Ireland.
So it is a RELIGIOUS reason they were fired eh..... LAWSUIT!
Sounds like the group needs a lawyer
I guess none of the bosses went to Syracuse U. or are fans of the Dolphins?
What stupid mistake the "Law Firm" made. The word will pass to every (good or not so good legal firm future employee) making hiring future employees a task like no other. They (the firm) have shot themselves in the foot and now your job is to join together and hire that Labor Law Firm to send as much smelly mail to them and see what can stick on their walls. It will be fun to hear the name of the firm on the internet for ALL to read. It would do them a world of (hmmm, pain in the self inflicted foot wound) as the name spreads to future clients, that this firm has poor judgement with respect to their own labor law issue. Short on employees and limping about with fewer cash paying clients will have some unpleasant effects. If it were me, I would make sure the farm workers and other employee associations legal staff had some up to date, first hand access to what the goings on are. If you want spread some stinky on the wall, work out a GOOD plan of attack. If the orange works, use it to protest unfair labor laws. Orange is big in your neck of the woods. It would be real exciting to a million workers wearing orange shirts. The employers will be the cause, you'll be the spark, and the fire will burn in the workers hearts. Do you see the opportunity here? Best of luck, hope you all find a better life without stupid employers.
Fire 13 employees on single day over this BS incident -- can't sue due to 'at will' employment -- fine. I'll see you in the newspapers, on the street outside your law firm, on the courthouse steps of every case I can get a film crew to. Me, my orange shirt (dumb color, by the way), my pals and my placard. Of course, with your client list dwindling, you won't miss us that much, but it'll be fun watching you tank.
Nothing worse than wanting an apple and getting a orange?
OMG we can no longer wear our bowling shirts to bowl on league after work...
There's a real problem with our unemployment system when as long as someones fired for cause, any cause they aren't eligible for benefits. Most companies if they want to fire someone they just tell their manager to get rid of him and it doesn''t take long to find some reason, any reason. If, like most european countries firing people en mass like this would cost the firm they''d use restraint and hopefully common sense when dismissing someone.
I would kick your ass out to if you wore one color for THREE MONTHS you lame brain's. if you want to wear a bright color with your buddies at the PUB after work go for it but a place of business must be respected as such and not some third class party dump...
Orange is the color of the Orangemen, a group of protestant Irish activists who took the name from William of Orange of Great Britain but very few in the U.S. know anything about it. Some Irish Roman Catholic probably made some complaint about seeing people wearing orange on St Patrick's day. Typical of Irish Roman Catholics. Tolerance and celebration is just fine unless it includes the fact that there are Irish who are NOT Roman Catholics. No one ever stopped them from wearing green and celebrating a group of thugs who randomly murdered thousands of men, women and children in Northern Ireland and England for decades, but let someone wear orange on that day for something having nothing to do with Ireland at all and all hell breaks loose.
sounds like this group of folks have a law suit to sue the lawyers ythey worked for lol, sue the chit out of them.
Most of you are missing the point that it was lawyers who did this.
well now folks let me tell you if I were one of these what got fired I would see to it that the law firm was so busy with lawsuits there wouldnt be any time for business
dorkkwadd; you name fits. This is a law firm and it will cost them nothing to defend while the employees will have to HIRE an attorney. AT WILL, means they cannot be sued for wrongul termination unless the attorneys were stupid and gave them a reason. Probably lousy work ethic and poor taste got them fired.
Would not expect anything less from a lawyer. They go to school to learn to lie and steal..
How come I feel there is MUCH more to this story?
If I worked for an employer that did this, I would look for a new job and NOT give notice when I quit. It works both ways.
Orange for St. Paddy's Day perhaps? Yes, as some said, that can be seen several ways. If the Boss is Irish-descent Catholic, might as well wave a red cape in a bullring. Common sense....
P.S. People comparing work at a Cushy Law Firm to Slavery have no idea what they are talking about. Watch Roots or something before opening your Ignorant mouths. Oh yes, having to get another job is exactly like that guy getting a piece of his foot cut off because of his skin color, oh please.
We should all hope the law firm is correct when they said it was a group protest. If so, then the conduct may be lawful collective action and termination would be subject to an award of damages. Example: