WOKE BLACK Smoothie King Employees FIRED For REFUSING To Serve Trump Supporting Customers!
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Two Smoothie King employees in Ann Arbor were fired for refusing service to customers wearing Trump merchandise.
- ❖The employees cited discomfort with the customers' political views as the reason for refusal.
- ❖Legally, private businesses in Michigan can discriminate based on political viewpoint; however, companies retain the right to terminate employees for actions that harm the business.
- ❖The host asserts that 'radicalized liberals' are liabilities for businesses because they often bring their politics into the workplace, negatively impacting operations.
- ❖Smoothie King corporate and the franchise owner took immediate action, firing the employees and mandating retraining for all staff.
- ❖The host advises employers to be aware of potential liabilities stemming from employees' political ideologies during the hiring process.
Insights
1Smoothie King Employees Fired for Political Discrimination
Two employees at an Ann Arbor Smoothie King were terminated after a video showed them refusing service to a couple because one wore a Trump hoodie. The employees explicitly stated their discomfort with the customers' political affiliation.
The host details the incident involving Ann Arbor Smoothie King workers, 'at least one of whom happens to be black,' fired for 'denying Trump support.' The employee, Jana Michelle, later explained they felt 'uncomfortable' due to the Trump merch.
2Legality of Political Discrimination by Private Businesses
In Michigan, private businesses are legally permitted to discriminate based on political viewpoint, as constitutional freedom of speech does not apply to private entities. However, companies can still fire employees for such discrimination if it violates company policy or harms the business.
Attorney Jonathan Marco states, 'the constitutional freedom of speech does not apply to private businesses, which means private businesses can discriminate based on political viewpoint... Michigan is not one of them [states with laws protecting political speech].' The host adds that while not a crime, it's 'not good business' and companies have the right to fire employees for it.
3Radicalized Liberal Employees as Business Liabilities
The host argues that 'radicalized liberals and leftists' pose a significant liability to businesses because their politics often become their 'religion,' leading them to bring their ideology to work and potentially engage in discriminatory behavior that damages the company's brand and finances.
The host states, 'these liberals are liabilities... their politics has become their religion. They bring their politics to work.' He warns, 'When you hire these people, you just have to keep in mind there's a decent chance they're going to screw you over with their politics.'
Bottom Line
Employers should consider political ideology as a potential liability factor during hiring, not for political agreement, but to assess the likelihood of an individual's politics interfering with work and damaging the business.
This suggests a shift from traditional hiring criteria to include an assessment of an applicant's public political expression or perceived 'wokeness' to mitigate future risks.
Develop specialized HR consulting services or screening tools that help businesses identify potential 'political liabilities' without directly discriminating against protected classes, focusing on behavioral indicators rather than explicit political affiliation.
Opportunities
Workplace Political Risk Assessment Service
Offer a consulting service for businesses to assess and mitigate risks associated with employees bringing radical political ideologies into the workplace. This could include training on professional conduct, policy development, and pre-employment behavioral screening guidelines focused on preventing workplace disruption rather than ideological alignment.
Lessons
- Business owners should establish clear policies regarding professional conduct and the separation of personal politics from customer service interactions.
- Employers should promptly address and take decisive action against employees whose political actions negatively impact business operations or customer experience, regardless of the legality of the discrimination itself.
- When hiring, evaluate candidates not just on skills but also on their perceived ability to maintain professional neutrality and avoid bringing divisive personal ideologies into the workplace, especially in customer-facing roles.
Mitigating Political Liability in Hiring and Workplace Conduct
**Define Professional Conduct:** Clearly articulate expectations for employee behavior, emphasizing neutrality and non-discrimination towards customers based on political views, and integrate these into employee handbooks and training.
**Implement Behavioral Screening:** During the hiring process, consider behavioral interview questions or background checks that might indicate a candidate's propensity to prioritize personal political activism over professional responsibilities, focusing on past actions or public statements that suggest potential workplace disruption.
**Enforce Consequences Swiftly:** Establish a clear disciplinary framework for employees who engage in discriminatory behavior or bring disruptive political ideologies into the workplace, ensuring consistent enforcement to protect the business's brand and customer relations.
Quotes
"These liberals are liabilities. They're just liabilities. And the reason why is because their politics has become their religion. They bring their politics to work."
"The constitutional freedom of speech does not apply to private businesses, which means private businesses can discriminate based on political viewpoint."
"Political ideology is not a protected class. So again, they don't have a case. They don't have a strong case at all."
Q&A
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