Quote Originally Posted by ctrlfreq View Post
As long as you're working there voluntarily, it's up to the employer to define the conditions.
This is not quite true, as I'm sure you are aware. There are certain things they just aren't allowed to do. However, for the most part it is true.

One thing they can't do is treat employees differently. So they can't say that "Jimmy" (making up a name for the fork lift operator) can't have a cell phone while he is at work, but everyone else can. They could make a policy that you can have a cell phone until you get in trouble with it, and offenders are no longer allowed that privilege. However, if they make a rule like that, they have to be very careful to enforce is consistently. And, since the rule didn't already exist (or perhaps had not been being enforced), they can't just make up the rule and take Jimmy's cell phone away. They would have to wait until the next time he messes up, and they probably don't want to take that risk. So I do sort of understand where the management is coming from.

They could fire "Jimmy" on general principles of him doing something that was not safe. Since "Pop" claims he has people lined up for jobs, I'm not sure why he wouldn't do this. An employee that makes a mistake like that one time is likely to make another one, and taking away his cell phone isn't going to stop him from doing something else that isn't safe. Maybe they are concerned that they have allowed other employees to get away with similar things and keep their job, which would open them up to being sued for the thing about treating people differently.

I know it sucks for you, but as you have already said, with the current economy it might be hard for you to find another job so you have limited options. My advice would be to wait it out and see what happens. If the company is usually as laid back as you say, and things happen based on the moods of the management, then it is likely that the management will get into a more laid back mood soon.