WorkEthics #EmployeeRights #ToxicWorkplace #JobSecurity #SocialMedia
Work Threatening to Fire Me for Not Participating in Mandatory Lip-Sync to Be Posted on Social Media
Understanding the Situation
You’ve been working as a front desk receptionist at a dentist office that’s part of a larger corporation. After dealing with a toxic work environment, constant backstabbing, and an overwhelming workload, you decided to put in your three-week notice. Now, about two weeks in, you’ve been asked to participate in a mandatory lip-sync and dance routine to Elvis Presley’s "Love Me Tender," intended to boost employee morale and drive sales. Your refusal led to your boss threatening potential termination for "insubordination."
Is This Legal? 🧐
The first thing to address is the legality of the situation. While employers generally have broad discretion to require participation in various work-related activities, there are boundaries:
- Employment-at-will Doctrine: Most states in the U.S. operate under this doctrine, meaning employers can terminate employment at any time for any reason, except illegal ones (e.g., discrimination, retaliation).
- Insubordination Criteria: Firing someone for not participating in a company video might be considered extreme, especially if it’s not part of your job description.
Employee Rights and Ethical Implications 📜
Your discomfort with being featured on social media is valid, especially if participation is outside the scope of your job duties. Key points to consider:
- Invasion of Privacy: Forcing employees to participate in activities that make them uncomfortable, especially those that get posted online, can infringe on privacy.
- Unfair Labor Practice: Using termination threats to force participation could be seen as coercive.
Engaging in activities that aim to "drive sales" in a healthcare setting can also raise ethical concerns.
Boosting Morale vs. Workplace Culture 🌟
While boosting morale is important, mandatory participation in non-work-related activities might backfire:
- Voluntary Participation: Better to have voluntary participation to genuinely boost morale.
- Toxic Environment: Forcing participation can reflect and perpetuate a toxic work culture.
What You Can Do 👊
Understanding your position and knowing your rights can empower you to make informed decisions:
- Document Everything: Keep detailed records of communications with your employer about this issue.
- Seek Legal Counsel: Consult with an employment lawyer to understand your rights fully.
- Consider Immediate Resignation: If the environment becomes too hostile, immediate resignation might be a better option for your mental and emotional well-being.
Finding Support 🤝
It’s crucial to find support from colleagues, friends, or online communities. Sharing your story can bring awareness to similar issues others might face. You’re not alone in thinking this situation is insane.
Looking Forward 🚀
Regardless of the outcome, focus on your future endeavors. A toxic work environment is detrimental, and being proactive in seeking a better workplace is vital. Remember, your dignity and respect are paramount, and working in a supportive environment that values its employees can lead to greater job satisfaction.
In conclusion, while mandatory participation in a lip-sync video may seem trivial, when used as a coercive tool, it reflects deeper issues within the workplace culture. Knowing your rights and taking proactive steps can help you navigate these challenges effectively.
Just say no. If you get fired file unemployment. Problem solved.
Get this in writing and when they do fire you file a lawsuit for wrongful termination then blast them on business sites. They’ll be defamed so fast.
When I was young, I put in a two week notice and was still there working 3 weeks later. A tour bus of college kids pulled up (this was a food service job) and I said, nah, and walked out.
You don’t have to be there. You can quit whenever you want. You don’t have to show up on Monday, or do a video, or anything. No one calls references anymore, especially for a front desk position, so cut your losses and say seee yaa
Or, let them fire you and get that unemployment check. Your job can’t be in jeopardy if you already quit lol.
Alternative idea: Agree but don’t dance or move. Just flatly state you were ordered to do this to boost engagement and sales or be fired.
You are not insane, your boss is insane. Frankly, this sounds like she’s pissed off that you’re quitting and this is a weird, petty way of getting back at you.
She has no actual leverage over you, you’ve already submitted your resignation. She’s free to let you go early, that’s about all she can do. Enjoy the salt!
Not insane, this is the most fucked up thing I’ve heard from a workplace in a long time.
No need to give a reason, you’re leaving anyway. Just walk out if they try and put you on the spot.
Honestly, I’d take that conversation as her firing you, immediately file for unemployment, and don’t come in again. I’m guessing, since you’re a receptionist, that you’re fairly vital to the practice. Make them suffer.
I would refuse right on the spot. I don’t dance. Court order.
Dancing is against some people’s religion… they aren’t trying to make you violate a tenet of *your* religion are they? 😉
Take George Carlin’s advice – mouth the words “I hope all you fucking lip readers are watching!”
Fuck them. If they fire you sooner than your intended day, you can apply for unemployment (DON’T quit/resign sooner!).
So much of this is wrong, but as someone who assigned lip syncs to students in the early years of my teaching career, I’d go Les Mis alongside you just for that song choice.
Here is what you say “Sorry, but due to my SAG-AFTRA union membership, all public appearances and performances must be booked through my manager at industry scale.”
Find a contract online, for copyrite use of your image for a few thousand dollars. Give it to the boss, point out the paragraph for immediate payment.
Inform them it’s against your religion as you believe the camera will steal your soul.
Why not go for the malicious compliance? Come in wearing a mask, mouth the words: “Help me!”, flip the bird, do all the things to make the video unusable.
A lot of people are saying just not to participate, but I’d like to suggest an alternative:
Participate, and then just ruin every attempt to record. Dance wrong on purpose, keep stopping and asking what the words are again, stuff like that. Throw on a really ditzy, innocent persona so they can’t say you’re doing it on purpose without sounding like an extra huge asshole.
Tell everyone they have a right to refuse and can sue if they are fired.
The fact that medical professionals don’t understand the risk of being posted on social media is outrageous. Please call out these people as I would never want to get dental care from them. This is outrageous.
Tell her to go f*ck herself.
Would you be able to sue/imply suing if they use your image to “promote sales” if you’re no longer employed by the company? Hmm…
This is obviously ridiculous, and OP is justified in being upset. That being said, I don’t know why so many people are recommending that OP quit and file unemployment, or take this as a termination and file for unemployment. That’s far from a win here. In my state, there’s a mandatory one week wait to file unemployment and then the max payout is $275 per week. Some states are better, but it’s still almost always better financially to be employed.
Lots of problems here, but first – asking employees to be part of social media probably wouldn’t be too far of a stretch from “and other duties as assigned” that is in most job descriptions, so as silly as it sounds, you could potentially be written up or dismissed for not participating.
However, all that time you spend learning your song and dance, is recordable work time. The only reason you are performing those tasks is for true betterment of the company, so be very sure all that time gets recorded, and if you worked your designated hours already this week, it is very likely overtime.
Next, chances are social media sites are going to copyright strike any uploads with Elvis music on it. If it does get published somehow, immediately file reports with the media companies for them using your likeness. It will usually pull down media form business pages pretty quick for that.
Report this to your department of labor. Demanding that you do work-related tasks on your own free time (memorizing the song and preparing a performance) without compensation, and threatening to fire you for it, is wage theft.
feel free to dm me when the video goes up so I can leave a comment on how cringe it is
She is playing chicken. Play back…make her fire you for this and collect unemployment
I feel like that would be an absolutely wild story to tell to future employers.
Employer: so can you tell me why you’re searching for a new position?
OP: my former boss fired me for not wanting to film in a TikTok video with them.
I would flat refuse. I would not be ok making a fool of myself on social media for an employer. Even if they take it down it will still exist out there. This could get dredged up by future employers, pretty much anyone you are trying to manage your public facing image with.
I feel the same way about demanding everyone have a photo on the company website or in the entry way. This is a safety risk for women and people who have left abusive relationships or family situations.
Not insane. What your boss is doing is dangerous. There are many reasons why someone would want to limit their online presence. What if one employee is a victim of domestic abuse and is hiding from an ex? What if an employee just doesn’t want to have their image online for religious reasons?
Wow this is so extremely ridiculous. Ok, if they want you to memorize the song, then they need to have you work on memorization during work hours. If they don’t want to do that, then I guess they can’t expect you to memorize it. Like WTF is this.
This is fucking insane, you are not alone in thinking that. Please post the name of this place, they deserve it.
Cringe overload, glad you’re leaving what sounds like a real dumpster fire of a workplace
Ask if they’ll be paying you off the clock to make this routine? A three minute routine could take hours after all to make perfect. Also, if they fire you than you get employment.
I would just repeat “fuck off and fuck you” while being as sexually explicit as possible in my dance moves.
What is the compensation for working over the weekend? I doubt singing and dancing are in your job description. The labor board would love to hear about you being fired from a dentist office for not singing and dancing.
Not everyone wants to be on social media. There is no way someone should be forced to do this.