Pizza Hut Manager Says He Was Fired for Refusing to Open on Thanksgiving
A 10-year Pizza Hut employee who took a stand against working on Thanksgiving said he was fired because of it, a CBS affiliate in Indiana reports.
Tony Rohr, who was general manager of a location in Elkhart, Ind., told WSBT, “I said, ‘Why can’t we be the company that stands up and says we care about our employees and they can have the day off?’” Thanksgiving and Christmas were the only days the chain was closed each year, but it decided to open this Thanksgiving, he said.
When Rohr refused to call his employees to work for the holiday, he says he was told to sign a letter of resignation. He ignored that demand, too, according to WSBT.
Instead, Rohr wrote his own letter to his boss, which said in part, “I hope you realize that it’s the people at the bottom of the totem pole that make your life possible.” He acknowledged that his decision would cost him his job, but said it was not a resignation. He also called the decision to open on Thanksgiving “greedy” and “immoral.”
WSBT couldn’t get a response from Pizza Hut headquarters, but spoke to one of Rohr’s former bosses. That guy, who manages operations for several locations in Indiana and Illinois, insists Rohr decided to quit and wasn’t fired.
Opening on Thanksgiving is a growing trend, although some major stores are still willing to allow employees to have the day off and spend it with their families. Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about?
Pizza Hut’s Facebook page is being flooded with complaints, with many consumers saying they won’t order from the chain again. Do you think Rohr made the right decision? Did he deserve to be fired for it? Comment below or on our Facebook page.
This article was originally published on MoneyTalksNews.com as 'Pizza Hut Manager Says He Was Fired for Refusing to Open on Thanksgiving'.