Fired For Being Too Hot

[easysurfer]

"The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on Friday that employers in the state can legally fire workers they find too attractive".

Iowa Supreme Court: OK to fire 'irresistible' worker - CNN.com

What kind of rule is this? From reading the details of this article it's more like the dentist fired the worker because his wife noticed him checking her out.

 

[travelover]

Perhaps the court would allow her to just wear a burka to work.

 

[omni550]

Or just hire less attractive/ugly people. Problem solved.

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Unless she was hired via phone interview (unlikely), he had to have known what she looked like before hiring her.

omni

 

[Nemo2]

The opposite of the old joke....the punch line of which was "Give the 3 applicants the typing test...then hire the one with the big boobs".

 

[BTravlin]

You have to give him a little credit for admitting he's not able to control himself.

 

[steelyman]

I remember being at a bachelor party one time where I and another guy (after sufficient beers) were asking this naked stripper, "uhhh, how would you like a job with great benefits?"

 

[easysurfer]

So, I found more details of the original story (with pictures too)...

My impression is that story should be re-titled, "The creepy dentist, the jealous wife and the dental assistant"

Is this woman too sexy to be a dental assistant? Judges back married dentist who fired aide he said was 'irresistibly attractive' and a 'threat to his marriage' | Mail Online

 

[Meadbh]

I am not a lawyer, and in particular, I have no knowledge of US law. However, the point I would make is the one month's severance pay after a period of employment lasting 10 years. That does not seem just.

Perhaps one of the forum's legal eagles can comment.

 

[MDJO]

Glad he's not my dentist.

 

[REWahoo]

Glad he's not my dentist.

Me, too! I'd be really miffed the hot assistant was gone.

 

[powerplay]

What am I missing? The woman worked for him for 10 years and then it was a potential problem! There must be more to the story. I wonder if he has a process to screen out 'hot' patients lest he be tempted.

 

[REWahoo]

What am I missing? The woman worked for him for 10 years and then it was a potential problem! There must be more to the story. I wonder if he has a process to screen out 'hot' patients lest he be tempted.

Jealous wife > bye bye assistant.

 

[MDJO]

Me, too! I'd be really miffed the hot assistant was gone.

+1

 

[Brat]

If she worked for the dentist for 10 years I doubt that she started wearing short skirts and low cut tops. If that were the issue it would have been easy for the employer to establish a dress code. I agree, there must be more to this story.

In the US with rare exception an employee can be fired for any reason at any time and an employee can leave at any time for any reason. It is hard for me to imagine that this employee was unaware of the conflict between the dentist and his wife, she should have found another practice long before this happened.

 

[pb4uski]

Glad he's not my dentist.

I'm glad that I retired after this precedent.

 

[Tyro]

Whaddaya know... preemptory sexual harrassment. "I'm firing you before you have a chance to rebuff my advances and sue me."

IANAL either, but I'd bet a small amount this case is going to get a fair amount of discussion in quite a few law schools.

 

[Nords]

Or just hire less attractive/ugly people. Problem solved.
Unless she was hired via phone interview (unlikely), he had to have known what she looked like before hiring her.

I think his "mistake" was not having his spouse on the hiring committee.

I wonder how many of his customers are going to follow his assistant (so to speak) to her new dental employer.

 

[Bestwifeever]

If she worked for the dentist for 10 years I doubt that she started wearing short skirts and low cut tops. If that were the issue it would have been easy for the employer to establish a dress code. I agree, there must be more to this story
....

Me too. According to the story the dentist and his assistant had started exchanging texts. And assistant wouldn't even consider a sexual harrassment lawsuit (but her lawyer seems to think her dismissal was discriminatory against her because she's a woman....) Maybe something could have been developing--midlife crisis time? I wonder if the wife is the second wife and feared history was repeating itself. Dentist and wife are not very professional.

 

[donheff]

Yeah, this one is pretty lousy but the result is not surprising. You can fire people for pretty much anything except specified reasons (e.g. discrimination on the basis of gender). "My wife told me to get rid of you" isn't one of those prohibited reasons. At least she qualifies for unemployment compensation. To the extent she is getting the name of her boss out in all the publicity at least she is getting a bit of revenge in the form of public humiliation - no prohibition on that either.

 

[easysurfer]

Because people can get fired for pretty much anything, that's why I don't feel too so bad when folks FIRE from a Megacorp or smaller business with little notice. Turnabout is fair play.

 

[Huston55]

Perhaps the court would allow her to just wear a burka to work.

Maybe this what the dentist's pastor had in mind when he advised them.

 

[eytonxav]

Or just hire less attractive/ugly people. Problem solved.

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Unless she was hired via phone interview (unlikely), he had to have known what she looked like before hiring her.

omni

I've worked in a few places where I suspected this was the case

 

[REWahoo]

I've worked in a few places where I suspected this was the case

Let me guess ... you got hired on the spot after your first face-to-face interview?

 

[eytonxav]

Let me guess ... you got hired on the spot after your first face-to-face interview?

No, telephone interview only. Not to be chauvinistic, my context in this thread applied to fairer sex.

 

[NW-Bound]

While it is bad that the dentist was not able to control his sexual desire, he was honest in admitting his weakness.

And about letting the woman go, I think it has bad publicity, but it is the prerogative of her employer. Suppose you have had the same lawn mowing guy or a house cleaning woman for 10 years, are you required to keep them forever if they do a good job?