Nanette Byrd, better known as Brad’s wife, lost her job at Cracker Barrel. People lose their job every day, but what makes this case special is that this has become internet famous, with a petition (with over 20,0000 signatures) demanding answers as to why Nanette Byrd lost her job after 11 years.
If you’re tempted to post a bad review about Cracker Barrel, send a nasty email, or just sign the petition, stop and think. Is this really how you want things to play out should you ever be so unfortunate as to lose your job?
Of course, you say! You want answers! Let the internet demand answers.
Well, I’m not so sure that you do want the whole internet to demand answers about why you were terminated.
To keep reading, click here: Why You Should Stop Harassing Cracker Barrel about Brad’s Wife
Thank you.
First, for a helpful article on why we often get fired.
Second, for calling for a little bit more sanity within the blogosphere / social media universe.
Freedom of speech for all.
Cracker Barrel probably had many legitimate reasons to fire her but I’m sure Nanette and Brad are feeling vindicated by the humor in people harassing her former employer.
Elsewhere, it’s being reported that Brad’s had a change of heart and has asked people to quit harassing the local Cracker Barrel.
I always side eye any time someone is dismissed (for cause or without cause,) when they are very close to vesting in something financial (vacation payout, 401-K contributions,) whatever. Unless she did something immediately fire-able, like theft, and even if they did put her on a warning, well, I worked quality assurance in a number of companies and if they wanted you GONE, all I had to do is cherry pick the work to be monitored. I wouldn’t do that and never worked for a company who could, but I knew how if it needed to be done.
Given the history of behaviour at Cracker Barrel regarding persons of colour and Gay/Trans employees, I would hesitate any time they did something like drop an employee just before a payout was due. I wouldn’t go public like this because it’s a bad idea, but I’d certainly run it past my lawyer as possible age discrimination and possible “we never want to pay out that stuff, so lets see what we can find,” history.
It wasn’t a payout, just an anniversary where vacation renews.
Cracker Barrel could be at fault. Nanette could be at fault. Angry internet mobs shouldn’t be the ones to decide.
Agreed. “angry internet mobs” while not being as dangerous as in-person angry mobs can still do wrong; mob rule rarely, if ever, works out well.
I left a comment via the twitter feed but it didn’t get posted, but not upset. Most people who see social media to complain about a wrong doing at work are not top notch employees if their social feed is that big, unless their job is in social media. Like the article states, we don’t know the whole story and why put it out on internet where it will never go away. No job is a permanent position unless we try to do our best performance everyday.
In an article I read somewhere else, it said that a comedian put the story out on the Internet.
Yes, there all always 2 sides to every story but I’ve personally seen some pretty bad managers do some pretty shady things over the years. And look at the case of Mitsy Tucker, who was fired (from a hospice!) for exhausting her FMLA while fighting cancer. Look at Kimberly Hiatt, a nurse who committed suicide after being fired for a serious med error that was more a system error than her fault.
In any case, the employer has all the power. Like you say, wrongful termination is hard to win. Nanette has devoted over a decade of her working life to Cracker Barrel and is now probably over 50. What recourse does the employee have except in the court of public opinion?
Cracker Barrel can always release a statement. If Nanette was fired because she was insulting customers and stealing from the the till, let them say that. If Nanette was fired because she wasn’t as fast as the younger workers and the new boss really wants to hire some hot blonde thing instead, then let them say that.
Sure, Cracker Barrel COULD release a statement. But, do you really want them to? I have no idea why they fired her. It could be as shady as all get out – or not. But, they are not going to admit that they fired her because the manager wanted her replaces with a “hot young thing”.
And you can be sure that the could come up with some way to make her look bad.
Also, I’d be willing to be their lawyers told them to not make any statements.
Why shouldn’t CB release a statement? They did when they fired Joe Koblenzer (and it sounded like his firing was justified.) Reddit did it when a fired employee fussed about it, on a Reddit board no less.
It’s hardly “mob rule” when a person says on social media, hey, I was fired and I don’t know why. People get fired unjustly all the time. A worker can be fired because after 20 years he’s at the top of the pay scale and they want to replace him with someone at the bottom.
And what recourse does the fired person have? Nothing. Well, he can go on social media, present his case and let the public know that’s how this company treats a 20 year employee. He can call the press, like those former Amazon workers did, and the NYT can write an expose on it. What’s wrong with that?
Your comment about being careful what you wish for reminds me of this: http://www.inc.com/tess-townsend/yelp-tweet-raises-concerns-privacy-defamation.html
#dontaskfordirtylaundry
The thing that caught my attention before anything else about this event is that Brad Byrd seems to be making all the noise while Nanette hasn’t said a word.
Nanette may very well have cause to demand answers from her ex-employer, but there’s no reason at all that Cracker Barrel should feel obligated to respond to anyone else — even Brad.
I agree Wang-Lo. I have a feeling *just a feeling, no valid info to verify* that Nanette may know why she was fired and just doesn’t want to tell her husband. As payroll with a side of HR, I would NEVER release to a spouse, child or SO a reason. We don’t know the whole situation. My responsibility is still to the employee and the company….
I didn’t know 20,0000 was a number. Perhaps Brad’s Wife could have done it better