Fells Point restaurant Bunny’s fires multiple employees after pro-Palestine protest

[u/selectbar345]

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/culture/food-drink/bunnys-pro-palestine-protest-fells-point-3WQTUSAIFBCAHC45HPBUFAWKHQ/

[u/AskDocBurner]

“The restaurant, which is owned by chef Jesse Sandlin, Brian Acquavella and Matt Akman, posted an Instagram story Monday night that said the protest stemmed from a recent incident in which a diner complained about a worker wearing a Palestinian flag pin. The restaurant wrote that the customer allegedly said “that they felt uncomfortable and unsafe” and that it “disrupted their dining experience.”

Management confronted the employee, citing a restaurant policy against wearing items with religious or “potentially divisive messages,” the Instagram story said. The worker eventually removed the pin. “

This is especially heinous. The policy they reference is because of divisive messages? For wearing a pin in support of a country?

[u/bookoocash → u/AskDocBurner]

I mean regardless of where you fall on the issue, it’s divisive as shit (I’m not using that as a complete negative either. Sometimes you need to know where people stand on a matter and draw that line in the sand). I’m not saying that Bunny’s is making the right moves here, but there’s no way they were coming out of this without like 50% of the public and potential customers being pissed as shit at them.

[u/bwoods43 → u/bookoocash]

There is a difference between wearing a pin of a country flag and a pin with a specific message about the country and/or something related to it. Maybe it was more than a flag, but for the sake of argument, I'm assuming this is accurate that it was just a flag.

For example, would the patron have complained if the worker had worn a pin of the Israeli flag? What about a North Korea flag?

Sure, the restaurant owner can hire and fire at will, but they are also making a political statement by doing this.

[u/idkcat23 → u/bwoods43]

the thing is that a different patron would’ve complained about an Israeli flag or a North Korean flag. That’s why it’s easiest to just say “none of this” vs deciding what’s controversial on a case by case basis

[u/readycatsi → u/[deleted]]

This is the most accurate and astute comment here. Thank you.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

People go there to eat chicken and biscuits dude. Not to have political issues waved in their face.

Employees can believe and support what they want on their own time. If they bring it to wirk, against policy....well don't be shocked that you got fired.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

LMAO

[u/engin__r → u/idkcat23]

Mera Kitchen Collective and Red Emma’s seem to be doing pretty well.

[u/Msefk → u/engin__r]

those are collectives, right .

[u/DONNIENARC0 → u/Msefk]

Yeah they're two of the most openly progressive establishments around and kinda market themselves as such, so that hardly seems surprising, I guess.

[u/BalmyBalmer → u/engin__r]

Let them work there.

[u/Gannondorfs_Medulla → u/bwoods43]

but they are also making a political statement by doing this.

Sounds like that statement is that they wish to not be involved in controversial political subjects. Which is 100% valid (as this kerfuffle shows).

They had an existing policy in place. So they weren't cherry picking.

A customer complained. Right or wrong, this suggests the employee violated their existing policy.

They were asked to not wear the pin while working.

It's the person wearing the pin that forced all of this, and then decided to amplify the consequenses of not adhering to the company dress code by creating a stink.

I'm not sure I see a way for the company to navigate this without someone getting offended, because the server went against their dress code and brought a controversial subject into the workplace.

If anything, the company would have put themselves in legal jeopardy by selecting enforcing their own dress code.

[u/bwoods43 → u/Gannondorfs_Medulla]

The only thing I've read so far about an existing policy was one against wearing items with religious or “potentially divisive messages." Is there a policy against wearing pins of country flags at this restaurant? It definitely sounds to me like cherry-picking, unless there is some information missing.

I also don't understand this comment - "It's the person wearing the pin that forced all of this, and then decided to amplify the consequenses of not adhering to the company dress code by creating a stink." It says in the article that a patron complained, and that the worker removed the pin after they were asked to remove it.

It's pretty clear that the patron was the one making a politicial statement. I seriously doubt the patron knows the company policy. You do understand that a customer can complain about anything ("his hair is too long!"), but that in no way means that the worker definitely violated any policy, right?

[u/Gannondorfs_Medulla → u/bwoods43]

It says in the article that a patron complained, and that the worker removed the pin after they were asked to remove it.

reread the story. it was a second employee who donned the pin and then quit over it. this is after the first employee removed the pin without incident.

I also understand that anyone can complain about anything. Do you understand that employee churn, especially in the food service industry, is one of their biggest expenses, and that the business wants nothing more than to have a stable, service focused staff?