Florida law firm sacks employees for wearing orange shirts
23 March 2012
Fourteen ex-employees of a Florida law firm are suing for wrongful dismissal after they were fired for wearing orange shirts on payday.

Workers at Elizabeth R Wellborn turned up to the office dressed in cheery orange t-shirts last week. They say it's something they have always done on payday, so that when the factory bell tolls and they hit happy hour at the local bar, there's more of a feeling of "togetherness". But it seems the firm's new management committee doesn't really do the togetherness thing, and instead called all orange-clad employees into a conference room and fired them on the spot.

More dissident Floridians yesterday

Apparently the management team was under the impression that the orange shirts were part of a protest by employees, despite assertions to the contrary. And anyway the "at will" Florida employment laws mean that people can be fired for any reason (provided that reason is not specifically outlawed), including their choice of clothing.

Sacked administrative supervisor, Janice Doble, insisted the their clothes were not part of a protest but just helped them get in the mood for cheap beer. She added, "Orange happens to be my favourite colour. My patio is orange. My lipstick was orange today".

The firm has declined to comment.