Complaint Review: Sears Roebuck Company - Hoffman Estates Illinois

As an ex-employee, who was also a manager, I can say that Sears is definately not racist. The store manager of the location I worked at was asian. In fact, we had very few white people, as most of everyone else was either black or hispanic. It is company policy that an employee can not own or work for a business that is in direct competition. It's an issue with integrity. You aren't even allowed to use company property, such as telephones to conduct business for another job, even if it's in a completely different area. Every company that I have worked for has that policy. It doesn't matter if he didn't tell them it was his company. When they look up your husband's company, and see that it was the same person who they talked to in Sear's, they're going to know, and they're going to wonder if he lied about the price of repair so he could get there business. That's why they have those rules in place. This clearly isn't a race issue, especially since you didn't bring up the white person getting a verbal warning in your letter to the NAACP. How do you know about what the white person did or got? Anything that goes on with employees at Sears is confidential on a need to know basis, and I know for a fact that Sears takes problems with integrity very seriously.

I am an employee of Sears and it is very clear in our company handbook and training that soliciting is not allow. I must agree with the company here, if he recommended his own company, then he is soliciting, it doesn't matter if he tells them he owns the business or not. In our most recent training sessions this is addressed very directly and examples of employees that have lost jobs because of this very same thing was given. I hate to hear of anyone losing a job, I hope things gets better for you soon.

If Sears was a racist organization, why did they bother to hire your husband in the first place? Were they less racist 20 years ago? It's interesting that you state Sear's policy on the matter, and subsequently report that your husband violated the policy, then complain that race was the reason for his dismissal. I'm sure that there are other employees trying to compete on the side (no matter their skin color); your husband just got caught. Please, leave that card in the deck.

If Sears was a racist organization, why did they bother to hire your husband in the first place? Were they less racist 20 years ago? It's interesting that you state Sear's policy on the matter, and subsequently report that your husband violated the policy, then complain that race was the reason for his dismissal. I'm sure that there are other employees trying to compete on the side (no matter their skin color); your husband just got caught. Please, leave that card in the deck.

If Sears was a racist organization, why did they bother to hire your husband in the first place? Were they less racist 20 years ago? It's interesting that you state Sear's policy on the matter, and subsequently report that your husband violated the policy, then complain that race was the reason for his dismissal. I'm sure that there are other employees trying to compete on the side (no matter their skin color); your husband just got caught. Please, leave that card in the deck.

If Sears was a racist organization, why did they bother to hire your husband in the first place? Were they less racist 20 years ago? It's interesting that you state Sear's policy on the matter, and subsequently report that your husband violated the policy, then complain that race was the reason for his dismissal. I'm sure that there are other employees trying to compete on the side (no matter their skin color); your husband just got caught. Please, leave that card in the deck.

My husband owns a company that handles a very niche business. When he found out one of his employees was trying to sell the same type of parts "on the side", he was immediately fired. In most business it is against policy (which you admitted) to set up a business in direct competition. Good for your husband for trying to make it on his own, but don't cry racism when he gets caught going directly against company policy. This is why there are policies in print. It's just business.

In the letter to the NAACP I see no mention of a white guy doing the same thing and not being fired. Only in a rebuttal do I see that claim. Why is that? I would think that if this ROR were true, the letter to the NAACP would FOCUS on unequal treatment - 2 folks violate the same policy, the black gentlement is fired and the white guy isn't. Seems like another attempt to play the race card when someone doesn't get their way or gets caught breaking the rules and suffers the consequences. I have a small business and if one of my employees did this, he/she would be fired on the spot. Another thing that I notice is that the gentleman who is supposedly being discriminated against doesn't write the letter to the NAACP - his wife does - making it heresay. She has no standing to make an actionable complaint. HE should have written the letter. Racism has many faces. The most obvious is discrimination is denying a job or housing. But another face of it is shown when someone plays the race card in an attempt to coerce someone or business into giving preferencial treatment. The preferencial treatment in this case in to NOT FIRE someone for a clear violation of corporate policy.

Although I dont like sears, I agree 100% Sears isnt racist.. if anyone is racist its this Lady. He worked there for 20 years... whaaa whaaaa whaaa quit whinning.... I'm tired of listening to black people cry racism everytime they dont get what they want.. You people have more rights and chances then any white person these days.. You should be thankfull he worked for 20 years... he probably got the job cause he's black.. Go get an education or do something constructive with your time instead of on wasting on the internet looking for sympathy.

Ok, first of all I posted prior to seeing your rebuttal posted, and you NEVER mentioned this other emplpyee in your original post, so how was nayone to know? As for Sears being racist, your husband worked in the company for 20 years according to you, so how are they racist? They were simply laying low and waiting for enough time to pass before firing him? No, they fired him because he broke a major rule of the company. Nobody knows the curcumstances of the two cases, so we only have your word that they are exactly the same thing. Maybe they were both asked to stop doing outside business and your husband refused and the white guy didn't. My main question to YOU would be, why did you not bring up Mr White Man in your letter to the NAACP, and only after you were called out her bring it up?

Please make sure you read my rebuttal before you comment, here I will paste it again. why would an employee who gets caught doing the same thing who just happens to be hmmm white, gets a verbal warning. Did that make sense now?? If you're going to stick with company policy then play by the rules for all employees, white and black.

Why are you playing the race card? YUour own post states WHY he was fired "It states in their employee handbook that it is against company policy. But when customers turned down repairs with Sears because they were too costly, on occasion they would ask if Greg could recommend a company, and of course he would recommend GT Repairs (our company). He never stated that it was his company whatsoever, and always left it at that." **So your employer says you can't, you do it anyway, you conveniently leave off the fact that it's YOUR company you're recommending, and then claim racism as the reason.

I know business very well. And I do know the Sears Policies and procedures. And since I know business very well I know it's all politics. Do you really believe companies play by these rules?? Wow they have you brainwashed well. If they followed those so called policies and procedures manual, then why would an employee who gets caught doing the same thing who just happens to be hmmm white, gets a verbal warning. But when my husband does it all of a sudden those policies and procedures are followed straight out of the book. But thanks for your comment anyway.

I worked for Sears for the several years. I have come to know their business practices and feel that many other companies follow the same set of business ethics. As an employee you can not have a business that is in direct competition with your employer. If you do and your current employer finds out you are typically releaved of your current position. That is just standard business practices. I have seen the same business practice in my experience at Sears and do not find it racist or discriminating in any way except to weed out those who use Sears business to their own advantage. Most people who know business know you can not offer the same service as your current employer and if the employer finds out remain an employee.