Seyfarth Synopsis: The ALJ found that the employer did not violate the Act where it terminated an employee for using vulgar language during a staff meeting in efforts to undermine the general manager's managerial authority.

Disciplining employees can sometimes be a challenge when attempting to comply with the National Labor Relations Act (the "Act"). Fortunately for the employer, the Administrative Law Judge (the "ALJ") in Buds Woodfire Oven LLC d/b/a Avas Pizzeria & Ralph D. Groves, 2018 WL 2298221 (May 18, 2018), found that the termination of the employee who used vulgar language when criticizing the general manager during a staff meeting did not result in protected activity so as to violate the Act.

Background Facts

The general manager of a pizza restaurant had called a staff meeting to make a broad critique of the staff's performance, and requested feedback from the employees of how they could do better. The general manager set the tone of the meeting by stating that he "didn't want to come to work to be anybody's f*cking babysitter." In response, the charging party employee criticized the general manager and said: "how do you know you don't do sh*t around here".

The employee had been frustrated that the general manager did not assist with the kitchen operations like the other managers. The employee had previously expressed his frustration about the general manager to his co-workers. At the hearing, the other employees testified that they joked about the general manager's actions or inaction, or that they'd ask the general manager to help out in certain cases.

After the staff meeting, the employee went back to work to finish his shift. The general manager terminated the employee after the employee completed his shift. The employee then filed an unfair labor practice claiming that the general manager violated section 8(a)(1) of the Act.

ALJ's Analysis

The ALJ's central focus when determining whether the termination constituted a violation section 8(a)(1) of the Act was whether the employee had engaged in concerted protected activity. The ALJ acknowledged that individual action could rise to the level of concerted activity if those activities were linked to the actions of his co-workers. Just about two years ago, the National Labor Relations Board (the "Board") reminded that even conduct personal in nature could be enough to constitute concerted activity.1 The ALJ recognized, however, that the coworkers' "jokes" about the general manager's actions and inactions, where none of the coworkers shared the charging party's concerns, "falls short of concerted activity."

The ALJ further noted that it is "difficult to imagine how lashing out at a manager who asks employees for feedback by asking, 'how do you know you don't do sh*t around here,' even begins to lay the foundation for meaningful dialogue about employees' terms and conditions of employment." The ALJ found that the employee's conduct did not entail the nature of his work conditions, but rather, was calculated to undermine the general manager's managerial authority.

This decision is a pleasant reminder that not all vulgar comments and acts of insubordination need to be tolerated. And while this decision ended favorably for the employer as to this allegation, employers should be mindful that where more than one employee is sharing a similar concern, a vulgar comment seeking to improve employees' terms and conditions of employment will likely be protected. In these situations, employers should exercise caution before terminating an employee based on the fact that the employee undermined the manager, or the employer might find itself undermined by the Board.

Footnote

1. M.D.V.L., Inc., d/b/a Denny's Transmission Service, 363 NLRB No. 190 (2016) (finding that the employer violated the Act because employee discussed a demand letter for overtime pay with another employee and rejecting employer's argument that conduct was personal in nature and not concerted protected activity).

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