"Waitress laid off after shaving head for cancer"
By Ravenladyj
@Ravenladyj (22902)
United States
June 6, 2008 4:38am CST
I'm sorry but THIS IS WRONG IMO....This woman did a wonderful thing and instead of her boss supporting her and cheering her on he laid her off?? Thats nuts...and unfair as far as I'm concerned...If it had been soemone who worked for me in my restaurant I would have made a HUGE to do about it and used the opportunity to get the customers ni on the action and donate money to the charity...
[i]OWEN SOUND - When she took part in a local fundraiser for cancer research, all Stacey Fearnall thought she had to lose was a full head of hair.
Instead, the 36-year-old waitress at Nathaniels restaurant in Owen Sound, who raised more than $2,700 for the charity Cops for Cancer in exchange for her locks, was laid off when she showed up for work earlier this week with a shorn head[/i]
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/437809
Do you think her getting laid off was fair? If it were you getting laid off, what woudl your course of action be or would you just leave it alone and find work elsewhere? If you were the boss and one of your servers did that would you lay her/him off?
5 people like this
19 responses
@loujac3 (1188)
• United States
7 Jun 08
It really shows the owners character to fire an employee for that reason. People can be so petty and to think that a shaved head will discourage customers from eating there is sad. He could have given her an alternative like wearing a wig or maybe even shaved his head in support of the cause.
I would consider challenging the issue if there wasn't anything in the employee handbook against baldness. I don't see men getting fired for being bald.....hmmmmm! I think that employer needs to be made an example of. Of course, there are always other restaurants and businesses that could probably offer more in the way of pay or tips.
My daughter chose to shave her head in highschool. It was a shock to come home to and all I could say was, it will grow back, it will grow back..........and count to ten. She actually looked good with a shaved head. She has a nice shaped skull and there were no odd bumps or scars. She had fun dying it and then letting it grow out some. She finally got over that phase and let it grow back out.
1 person likes this
@Ridgerunner (118)
• United States
7 Jun 08
First of all, she has grounds for a serious law suit.
Were I her, I would work to have anyone who was a cancer survivor, or family member of anyone who had cancer BOYCOTT the restaurant. Then I would go to the news media and raise such a stink that the only solution for the restaurant would be re-hire, and a public apology
to her, and all the cancer survivors and their families.
This sort of conduct is inexcusable, the guy who fired her must be a real piece of work!
1 person likes this
@twallace (2675)
• United States
6 Jun 08
She should sue the man that she worked for cause that is just wrong cause she cut her hair. The lady has cancer and that should be no problem in her doing that. Now i wonder if she would have worn a wig would the boss have fired her then?
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28955)
• Canada
9 Jun 08
I think she's definitely got a case for descrimination. What's more, not that this makes any diference, but I only live about two hours away rom there, and though I've never been to that restaurant, I know the area well. That hit a little bit too close for home, for me.
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
9 Jun 08
only live about two hours away rom there
Oh really?? I use to work in O.S regularly back in the late 80s and early 90s....LOL On our days off or if we had night shift usually a few of us would pile in someones car and head to Wasaga for the day LOL
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
6 Jun 08
In the fashion statement world we live in with piercing and
tattooing I really don't know what the big deal is??? They say we live in a free world here???Really?
@scarywhitegirl (2766)
• United States
6 Jun 08
That is completely nuts that the restaurant would lay her off. I have a feeling they're going to get a LOT of negative backlash from this (people refusing to eat there, etc.), and are probably going to try to backpedal, but they've already pretty much ruined their chances of being successful.
(It's also dumb on another level, because I bet there are men who work in that restaurant, possibly even as waiters, who have shaved heads...)
@angemac23 (2003)
• Canada
6 Jun 08
Wow...she does something nice for someone and in return for her good deed, she gets screwed over.....we live in one messed up world when people are this shallow....I'm fed up with it...People got to smarten up...
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
7 Jun 08
I think her boss should have applauded her not fired
her. what did she do that was wrong. she was working to
help those with cancer. she did notdeserve that at
all. but maybe she should have worn a wig to work.
@AnnieOakley1 (5596)
• Canada
6 Jun 08
Yes, I heard that on the radio last night, too. Just stupid. She raised a whole lot of money for cancer by shaving her head. So what if she refused to wear a wig. I don't feel that the employer had the right to fire her. Technically, he made her take time off without pay. Still no job,no pay, FIRED! If I were her, I would be contacting the labour board. Certainly there is no dress code for 'hair' in the employee handbook.
If I were her boss, I would be applauding her efforts, not make her lose her job. I would put a sign up in the store, that we had the girl who shaved her head, donated her hair and generated that much money for cancer.
Her boss is an a$$hole.
1 person likes this
@sherlock27 (913)
• United States
6 Jun 08
If the boss laid her off , I'd like to know what kind of reason he would give to the unemployment office if she is entitled to collect her unemployment benefits??? What would happen if she was ill and getting treatments that made her hair fall out??? Would he still get rid of her????
@sherlock27 (913)
• United States
6 Jun 08
If I were a customer of his it would'nt bother me if she had hair or not, as long as the food and service were good.
@Timothy31 (649)
• United States
7 Jun 08
Wow that is very unfair. She quite possibly would have lost it naturally if she didn't shave it off from the chemo/radiotion. That is no reason to fire her at all she is sick. If i were her i would sue to get the job back.
@dodoguy (1292)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
Hi Ravenladyj,
Quite aside from my own personal opinion that all these "Cancer Research" charities are a complete waste of time, it does still seem rather severe for the woman to be sacked for shaving her head.
If nothing else, just the prevalent societal delusion that "Cancer Research" is actually a good thing would imply that the proprietor stood to gain positive publicity by his employee's participation.
So, to be honest, the logic of the action appears flawed given the public support for such initiatives, and that's over and above the narrow-minded attitude which apparently discriminates against bald women.
@golfproo (1839)
• Canada
6 Jun 08
Hi There!
I am afraid this is absolutley crazy. Somebody really messed up there. She in no way should have been laid off. She has a total case for wrongful dismissal and those who laid her off are going to be paying through the nose. If I was her I would be following that path. Crazy!
cheers,
@mommyathome (98)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Wow! That is terrible! This women did such a good deed and gets laid off?! Her boss should have made a big deal about it, not lay her off. Well, this just shows the type of person that he is!
@Desierra1004 (1213)
• Malaysia
6 Jun 08
Heads off to that lady! It is totally unfair and what low mentality her ex boss has...lol, acted so irrationally.
If she wasn't laid off, the restaurant would be much more popular and increase flow of customers but instead now it would be popularly criticized and for wrong reasons because of the mistake. I would be happy that she is so brave and made such move.
There's always solution in some way, the boss could have compromised as the hair will eventually grow back in time and could use some stylish scarfs or hats, so many available in the market. Or did the ex boss ever thought of 'wigs'!!
I bet now , this lady would be offered numerous jobs by many so not worth it to stay at her previous work place anyway.
@lauri_90 (25)
• Ireland
6 Jun 08
Ahhhhhh, not nice!!!!!! However, I can understand both sides.
If boss was not aware of the change of look, and he got a shock.... and for Customer Service reasons....... I can understand.....
These days image is everything in Customer Service!!!!
However, where is your man's heart??? A wig would have solved the problem!!!!
