Can your employer tell you to remove...

[tink_n_pooh]

a bumper sticker from your car?

Today my employer mentioned to me that he does not know if he can allow me to continue to park my vehicle in the driveway of our place of employment (we rent the building, we are the only company in the building) because of a bumper sticker I have on my car.

This bumper sticker states my political viewpoint. There is no profanity, its very PG, it just shows my political viewpoint.

At first I thought he was kidding as we often joke about things like that but nope, he actually said he was quite serious. I don't know what exactly to think of it but I'm thinking that it would not be legal for an employer to tell any employee what he/she can put on their car. This is very annoying that my boss would even mention something like this, I always thought he was a lot more open minded than he really is after all.

 

[lillygator]

is it a political job?
I am nto sure they can tell you to remove it, maybe if it's in the employee handbook or something.

 

[In a hurry]

Well, that is freakish.

Good luck dealing with it!

 

[Angelhalo]

I would think all he could do is politely ask you if you wouldn't mind parking in a less conspicuous spot if the sticker might be considered offensive. If it's just a Vote for so and so sticker, I dont' see any issue.

At my last job my manager asked a worker to remove an atrocious offensive bumper sticker from his car or he would be terminated, but he was a contractor doing cement work, so it's not he was actually one of our employees...............

I don't think he can ask you to remove it.

 

[HunnyPots]

Hmmm... I have no idea if it is legal or not but this is sure to be an interesting discussion!
I can sorta see it from both sides; depending on where you work, if you are sporting a sticker that is in contradiction with your company's policies or reputation then I can see it being an issue. Otherwise, if you work at McDonald's and your boss is republican and you are a democrat then I don't think he has a leg to stand on...

 

[Maleficent13]

I don't think he can tell you to remove the sticker, but he can probably tell you where to park, ie, not in the company's driveway.

 

[lilyv]

I guess your boss has drawn a line in the sand. If I loved my job, and also liked the bumper sticker very much, I'd just park down the street on public property. The other option of attempting to make a big ta-doo would not be worth it to me.

 

[Nanu57v]

I'm pretty sure he can tell you you can't park there with the bumper sticker on it. I don't think a parking spot is a right. Maybe you can get a car magnet or something to put over it while you are at work.

 

[RitaE]

I'm just wondering - are there other cars with stickers?


I think he could run into trouble selectively trying to enforce that -- ie you can display Republican symbols but not Democratic. I think he is probably within his rights to deny ALL bumper stickers however.

But frankly, if you are working in an At Will environment, it would not be a hill I would choose to battle on.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

OP here, just stopping back in to see what everyone had to say...


Just to add - my job is nothing even remotely close to political. I suppose if he says take the sticker off or park somewhere else I will park elsewhere. Actually, maybe I will park somewhere were people might actually see the sticker since you have to be in our driveway (which no one ever is) to even see the sticker.

I bet it will blow over but I'm really interested in seeing what other DISer's have to say


Back to add: We have no employee hand book, closest thing we have is a paper that we all had to sign that says we will not give up any trade secrets or customers contact info for 2 years after our end of employment.

There is only one other full time employee that even has a car to drive... and he doesn't have any stickers on his car yet. I have had stickers of variuos sorts (just pretty stickers, nothing political) ever since I have worked here and he has never said a word.

As far as being "at will" we have nothing stating either way but to my basic understanding of this law, you are at will unless otherwise noted but I don't really know for sure. I know my husbands company makes everyone sign an at will statement

 

[happybratpack]

What a load of crap. That would irritate me to no end. If it's not offensive, it isn't a company vehicle and doesn't conflict with the company itself then I don't see how he has any right. I'd be curious what the HR department/legal would say about that. Is there anything in the company handbook? What's next, he doesn't like your fuzzy dice dangling?

Sorry, but that really irks me, especially if you're in an at will state where you know if you don't comply they can just ditch you with no explanation.

 

[mrsv98]

Actually you can and it has happened. During the last election, a woman in CA was fired for having a Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker on her car. Her boss was a Bush supporter.

Here is the story:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/2005-06-12-off-duty-usat_x.htm

I don't know anything about NJ employment law but if it is a right to work state, you can be fired "for cause" and that cause can be the bumper sticker.

 

[happybratpack]

OP here, just stopping back in to see what everyone had to say...


Just to add - my job is nothing even remotely close to political. I suppose if he says take the sticker off or park somewhere else I will park elsewhere. Actually, maybe I will park somewhere were people might actually see the sticker since you have to be in our driveway (which no one ever is) to even see the sticker.

I bet it will blow over but I'm really interested in seeing what other DISer's have to say

Maybe you should tell him you'll back in to the driveway.

 

[lillygator]

I am curious as heck as to what the sticker says!

 

[CrazedDisFan]

I'm dying to know what it says.

 

[liamsaunt]

You'd be amazed at the things you can be terminated for. If you are an at will employee, they don't need a reason at all. I would be careful, OP.

Add me to the curious list!

 

[amyhughes]

See I find that to be wrong on different levels. I know it is probably the policy of many employers, but this correlates right along with surfing your employees out on MySpace and their Blogs to see what their private lives are. Private is private, work is work.

 

[lillygator]

but you are parking on company property right?

 

[famofsix]

hmm I think I need to know the sticker says

 

[Wishing on a star]

Legally, it would probably vary from State to State.
Most states are probably 'at will' employmment... And an employer can, very obviously, terminate your employment just because there is something that he does not like about you, and feels that you do not fit in with his company.

And, I would completely understand the employer's viewpoint if there were a clear conflict of interest....

Personally, if the bumper sticker was not offensive, and not contrary to the purpose/image of the company you work for, then I would NOT want to work for an employer who tried to play 'God' and micromanage me.

If the only reason is that the boss/owner happens to disagree with your political viewpoint, then I would seek employment elsewhere, where I am free to live my life and express my political opinions.

I am big on personal freedom and free speech.

Things that this country was founded on.