Sherwin-Williams fires employee for TikTok videos.

[Krastyn]

I was going with that usually happens in these situations, there is always some kind of lawsuit and you damn well know it lol.

People grandstand all the time about how they're going to sue over dismissal, but rarely does it actually happen. Especially in cases where people have personally recorded the very reason for their firing.

You also encouraged the behavior, by calling it a smart move.

[Themius]

Having to replace all your drywall because some dude was mixing blueberries in it and you tried it and got mold all over your walls isn't something a company probably wants to promote.

This isn't what happened.

[qwerty123456]

This isn't what happened.

So he didnt put shit in paint?

[Themius]

So he didnt put shit in paint?

Do you suffer from memory loss or have you forgotten your own words?

Having to replace all your drywall because some dude was mixing blueberries

this didn't happen.

[qwerty123456]

Do you suffer from memory loss or have you forgotten your own words?

this didn't happen.

You do realize you don't have to have kids actually eat tide pods to warn people not to do it right? Do you seriously think that nobody would be stupid enough to try it? Esp after seeing a guy whose job is paint do it? Also learn to read because I didn't say it did happen but that it could be and is not something the company would want to promote.

[Biglog]

The 2 issues were when he started adding blueberries to paint, and the customer complaint. I'm not entirely sure what the customer complaint was, that wasn't really detailed. I can imagine that maybe they got frustrated if having their paint mixed took longer than it should have because he started making a video of it, hard to say.

But if you're an employee in charge of making or doing anything, adding your own personal or process or stuff is a massive massive no-no. That's nothing to do with being "out of touch". That's just reality of the world today. That's because doing so opens up a huge liability to the corporation, even though the employee maybe didn't understand or realize that. What if he adds blueberries to paint, a little kid eats it (because it smells and tastes like blueberries), he dies and sues Sherwin-Williams for $100 million for making baby trap paint. That is just one of many many unintended outcomes of his Tik-Tok videos. What if the blueberries mess up the effectiveness of the paint and it falls off in 6 months, and that unhappy customer starts sharing their unhappy experience with hundreds/thousands of other customers online? What if a customer is allergic to blueberries and goes into aphylactic shock and dies? Unlikely yes, but if it does that becomes a very expensive mistake.

While working on the job the company is liable for your misdeeds, so in today's lawsuit age they are extremely quick on the hook for good reason if employees start thinking it's ok to do their own thing. Because a lot of times an individual employee might not realize the unintended consequences that may come, things Sherwin-Williams has learned from being around for 100 years.

[ravenswood]

So a guy does something stupid that would ordinarily get him fired, but because he also happens to be filming his stupidity and posting it on TikTok, he doesn’t deserve to be fired? Am I following the logic of the posters here?

[Milchshake]

So kid gets fired from a first job. Having a cool boss but a shitty regional manager isnt really unusual. Upper management is basically a magnet for assholes.

Honestly, quitting/leaving for better jobs is a better track for promotion in this age.

Florida Paints - a large, statewide paint company - flew him there & hired him to market THEIR paints.
Tony Piloseno said he got job and collaboration offers from almost every major paint company, but he "really connected with" the founder of Florida Paints over a shared "passion for paint."

[Kaleredar]

Yeah he claims that he purchased all the paint that was used.

I'd say their concern likely came from an employee of the company demonstrating and promoting misuse of their product on a large scale that they, the company, could likely find themselves liable for later.

Now, I don't know the actual effects of mixing Blueberries into paint, but I would imagine that it's probably not a good idea or... you know, paint companies would do it. Humans have been making paint for a damn long time, and seeing as shelf-stable pigments have been a long-sought after and historically very expensive pursuit in the art world that to this day may still rely on hard-to-obtain and potentially even toxic compounds to get just the right pigment (Blue especially,) I'm going to assume it takes more than just mixing fruit into paint and calling it a day.

My offhand assumptions as to why:

1) Whatever color is created is not remotely stable, and the pigments would fade very swiftly, necessitating a refinishing
2) The paint in no way, shape or form prevents the mixed-in fruit from eventually rotting in your walls
2) The various chemicals/acidity in the blueberries may work to compromise the formulation of the paint

Seems like pretty simple reasons that a company wouldn't want employees demonstrating wrong ways to use their product.

[the game]

That's just a really ignorant way to run a business..

"this guy is going viral mixing our pain!!! exposing us to millions of people and potentially it could be something we can capitalise on!!! but he's not doing it the right way! fire him! I mean sure he tried to tell us about his marketing idea but not!" Says old crotchety man.

Who would've ever thought you aren't being paid to screw around at work.

[Orange Joe]

Honestly he is going to probably sue and they will settle it out of court, buddy won't have to work ever again so smart move on his part, and I guarantee tons of people will come to defend him and make the company look bad.

Most of the US is at will employment. Unless there is a contract they don't even need a reason to fire him.

[Ursus]

He was shown to be mixing fruit in with the paint at work (not actually sure, article is unclear), and it says he was fired because of “multiple Company policy violations” following a “customer complaint” but declined to further discuss his termination.

Now what's wrong with that? It just makes the paint all the more tasty for any kids who might eat it.

[Unholyground]

Most of the US is at will employment. Unless there is a contract they don't even need a reason to fire him.

That is super sad honestly.

[Omega10]

So kid gets fired from a first job. Having a cool boss but a shitty regional manager isnt really unusual. Upper management is basically a magnet for assholes.

Honestly, quitting/leaving for better jobs is a better track for promotion in this age.

Florida Paints - a large, statewide paint company - flew him there & hired him to market THEIR paints.
Tony Piloseno said he got job and collaboration offers from almost every major paint company, but he "really connected with" the founder of Florida Paints over a shared "passion for paint."

Well at least this story has a happy ending. No upcoming lawsuit, and it's likely he got a raise to boot.

[Doctor Amadeus]

I have no doubt this was a empty suit evil empire corporation that made the call, but that being said they in every way made the right call. The guy isn't paid to experiment at work, he also isn't authorized. Not withstanding the fact these company's have contracts with suppliers they have to protect their company and those they are in business with from liability and exposure that could hurt their business in any legal capacity they can.


Is this shitty? Yeah

But this is Capitalism and it's their business they are protecting.

As to all the would of should of whatever, honestly he is very lucky if all they do is fire him. Although with all this exposure, I am guessing something will work out for this employee. People are right to be upset, but unfortunately this whole thing is legit.

[Milchshake]

Well at least this story has a happy ending. No upcoming lawsuit, and it's likely he got a raise to boot.

Ya, like others said, no lawsuit is ever happening.

I have no doubt this was a empty suit evil empire corporation that made the call, but that being said they in every way made the right call. The guy isn't paid to experiment at work, he also isn't authorized. Not withstanding the fact these company's have contracts with suppliers they have to protect their company and those they are in business with from liability and exposure that could hurt their business in any legal capacity they can.


Is this shitty? Yeah

But this is Capitalism and it's their business they are protecting.

Nope.

Code of Conduct clauses are selectively enforced. Managers and such use selective enforcement to protect themselves and their friends.

I've lost count of the times I've heard;
"Sure he's constantly late, but ...".
"OK, we'll give him one more warning ..."

[Doctor Amadeus]

Ya, like others said, no lawsuit is ever happening.



Nope.

Code of Conduct clauses are selectively enforced. Managers and such use selective enforcement to protect themselves and their friends.

I've lost count of the times I've heard;
"Sure he's constantly late, but ...".
"OK, we'll give him one more warning ..."

Well I am sure there is a bit of that going on here too, again, I am on the guys side, I think this is pretty low in regards of how to deal with it. My point is I understand it.


It's kind of like licensing and say Disney right, they have a lot of laws that cover and protect their IP, now granted that typically to protect themselves from say massive counter fitters and what not that again as i said expose them to liabilities and hurt their brand, but UNFORTUNATELY, Disney has also sued Charities and Churches or silly Sports teams and what not.

Now technically is it breaking the law if you show Snow White for a church movie night to raise money for a sick kid? YES

Is it a really fucked up and shitty thing to do under the Circumstances? Yes especially when the fines can be anywhere from 50-250k or more.


The point is as a company they are within their rights which again I can Understand, not so much agree with especially in the case of something as harmless as trying to do something GOOD.


The guy shouldn't have been fired, he seems like a very smart and inventive guy, and I am very glad the company in spite of the LAW is eating SHIT socially for this.


At worse they should have just given him a knock that shit off on work time and make sure you don't link us or any products with what you doing.

This is the kind of awesome stuff Social Justice can do and should, I just think there needs to be perspective.



You can't really do this kind of shit on someones else's time or dime even if YOU don't mean anything buy it, because again it puts pressure on the business and can expose them to liabilities and responsibilities they don't want to take on.

[Milchshake]

You can't really do this kind of shit on someones else's time or dime even if YOU don't mean anything buy it, because again it puts pressure on the business and can expose them to liabilities and responsibilities they don't want to take on.

Hold that thought, It's the Wednesday before Thanksgiving....

Management expects everyone to work a full day!
I'm expecting productivity to crash by 10am. Because the place is virtually empty. Most clients and vendors ... also gone. I've already wrapped up all my pertinent communiques and reports. Shitposting until I see the next outlook alert.
Management finally sees the light and starts sending everyone home by 10 or 11.

We do this dance every year.

[Ripster42]

This isn't what happened.

It's always fun when people talk about ignorant ways to run companies then failing to acknowledge being exposed to possible liabilities. Great thinking there champ.

[Elegiac]

Hold that thought, It's the Wednesday before Thanksgiving....

Management expects everyone to work a full day!
I'm expecting productivity to crash by 10am. Because the place is virtually empty. Most clients and vendors ... also gone. I've already wrapped up all my pertinent communiques and reports. Shitposting until I see the next outlook alert.
Management finally sees the light and starts sending everyone home by 10 or 11.

We do this dance every year.

Shit like this is why I don't have an issue when people shoplift from big chains, lol, to say nothing of wasting time.

Act like a faceless inhuman entity hoarding wealth at other peoples' expense, get looted like an off brand raid boss.