I was fortunate enough to work with some exceptional managers, but a few were not up to that standard. One particular experience was when I was working baggage handling. A manager approached me and asked if my T-shirt, which had the company logo, was issued by the company. I told him the truth, that it wasn’t. He then told me I had to change into a company-issued shirt or leave for the day. I informed him that I didn’t have one in my locker and that he would have to send me home, leaving the baggage department short-staffed. The station attendant, who happened to be the manager’s friend and was standing next to him, was wearing a sweatshirt with the Toronto Fire Department logo. I pointed this out and asked the manager if he was going to send him home too. I also asked why he wasn’t sending half of the baggage department home as they also weren’t wearing company-issued attire. The manager was so taken aback that he simply walked away without a response. What a jerk!
The moral of the story is that everyone should be held to the same standard and treated fairly, regardless of their position or relationship with others. The manager in the story showed a lack of consistency and fairness, and the protagonist stood up for what was right and called out the manager’s unjust behavior.
