The store manager of a Pizza Hut franchise in Indiana is considering a rehire offer from the company after he was fired for refusing to open his local branch of the restaurant on Thanksgiving Day.
Tony Rohr, 28 said he was told to write a letter of resignation after deciding to give his employees at the Elkheart, Ind. Store the day off for the holiday. He wrote a letter to Yum Brands Inc., which owns the store, explaining why it should be closed on the holiday but was fired soon after.
"I do not resign. However, I accept that the refusal to comply with this greedy, immoral request means the end of my tenure with this company." He said in the letter, "I hope you realize that it is the people at the bottom of the totem pole that make your life possible."
After hearing the news, Pizza Hut's corporate office released a statement in which it said it was "very upset by what has transpired in Elkhart, Indiana," and officials "strongly recommended that the local franchise reinstate the store manager, and they have agreed."
He spoke to CNN while celebrating Thanksgiving with his family about the offer to get his job back.
"That's something I can't decide right away," he said. "I'll start looking into stuff tomorrow."
When he decided not to open his branch on Thanksgiving, Rohr said he was taking a stand for his employees. Pizza Hut franchises are typically closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, the choice to open for a holiday is made at the local level, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"There are only two days that those people are guaranteed to have off to spend with their families," he said.
Tell us your thoughts on employees working on holidays and Black Friday? Did Rohr make the right call in your opinion? Comment and share your thoughts with us on the situation below.
