Question

William has been employed to pack the boxes with the wine for home delivery.   He works in a back room in the warehouse and interacts with delivery drivers only.   William loves to wear a t-shirt with offensive words written on them, he thinks it is funny. One day he comes to the work wearing a t-shirt that says “No way get f…ked, f..k off”   

The partners are very offended by this and ask him to change into a One Direction top they have given him. William has had enough and tells them “no way f..k you, f..k off”

The One Direction partners terminate his employment.

Did One Direction have the right to tell William to change his t-shirt and did they have a right to terminate him? William wants to claim unfair dismissal.

Answer 1

Yes, One direction had the right of telling William to change his T-shirt as it had offensive words written on it. When an employee is at work, he or she is a representative of the company. They had the right to terminate him because even after a warning and asking him to change the t-shirt he did not change it instead used offensive words in return. As per "The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) " companies are allowed to use and enforce dress codes. As with other workplace rules, violations can lead to termination.

So, No, William can not claim unfair dismissal because he was at fault.