Work, politics don’t mix
Dear Annie: My daughter is a college student with a parttime job. She loves her job and most of the other employees. The problem is with her boss.
Every morning, the boss sits down with his employees before the store opens and talks about hobbies, family, goals and other stuff. She used to enjoy this ritual a great deal. Unfortunately, her boss has recently begun to inject his political beliefs into these discussions. When her boss asked a loaded political question, she responded in earnest, not meaning to start trouble. But from her answer, her boss correctly identified her political affiliation.
From that point on, he has constantly badgered and baited her along with many other employees who don’t share his beliefs.
I’m curious to know whether an employee can legally be fired from his or her job because of political beliefs. Sick of This Election
Dear Sick: Based on my research, the answer in most cases is, unfortunately, yes. Private employers can fire you for your bumper sticker.
It’s best to play it as neutral as possible. Tell your daughter not to feed the troll. If she doesn’t react to her boss’s provocations, he’ll eventually tire of her as a target and move on.
Dear Annie: For years, my grandma’s sister “Laverne” has been asking her to visit her on the West Coast, even offering to pay for her flight. My grandma has had health issues, but this year she was finally well enough to go. She asked me to go with her because she hates to travel alone.
At the last minute, her sister “Tanya” told her she would be coming, too. Grandma didn’t seem thrilled. I’d only ever met Tanya for a few minutes my whole life, but she seemed fun.
Well, the trip turned out to be very unpleasant because of Tanya. She was pushy and self-centred. During lunch, she pointed out an attractive woman and asked us, “Doesn’t that woman look like me?” To those of us who said no, she insisted on it until we agreed.
When we got home, I told Grandma that I want to call Tanya and tell her how she ruined Grandma and Laverne’s time together and that I hope to never see her again. Grandma says it would be a waste of time, as Tanya is over 70 years old and has always been this way. Should I call, write a letter or let it go and hope I never see her again? Buckeye Girl
Dear Buckeye: Tanya sounds like an extreme narcissist. In her version of reality, she is the star of the show, and nothing you can say (if you could even get a word in edgewise) would change that. Grandma knows this well, as she’s been dealing with Tanya’s antics her whole life. Let it go — and take another trip, just you and Grandma, when you have the chance.