A Coke employee fired for drinking Pepsi on the job.

[Aznmask]

He was a Coke delivery truck driver was fired for drinking a Pepsi.


More information in here..
http://money.cnn.com/2003/06/13/news/funny/coke_pepsi/index.htm


I know this news is like almost a month .. old but still good to discuss about it..

Do you think it fair? or unfair for the driver??

[digisea]

I think that some people are not telling the whole story...

Getting fired for drinking a Pepsi.... common... must of been some other reasons too.

[dmoltrup]

Interesting conundrum.

Before just jumping on either side, there are a few points to ponder:

Did the employee actually sign, or was it commonplace knowledge that drinking Pepsi products while in uniform violates company policy? If he did sign such a statement, then he is in the wrong. ..Or was he?


There are other things that may have contributed to him drinking Pepsi rather than Coca-Cola, as well.

Was the store he delivered to completely out of 20 ounce bottles of Coca-Cola before he got there? If so, the ones he delivered were warm, or possibly hot depending on the temperature outside. Coca-Cola and Pepsi trucks are not refridgerated, so the product is delivered warm. If the driver wanted a cold drink, Pepsi may have been the only thing already cold.

A couple other points to ponder:

Federal law allows diabetic individuals to drive local delivery vehicles. In the case of low blood-sugar, I would drink whatever was available. If I have a dollar in my pocket and there is a Pepsi machine with dollar sodas, I'm going to grab one.

PepsiCo is a very large company. They own many other companies, for example, PepsiCo is the parent company of Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut. Stopping and grabbing a Taco Supreme meal deal would be grounds for termination, even if Taco Bell is the only eatery within several miles, not to mention these places DO NOT carry Coke products. You would have to pay a whole lot more to buy your meal without the drink (you know how it works).

As a final question, who in the world was the whistleblower, anyway? How does that person feel now? The Coca-Cola delivery guy wants a cold drink, so he grabs a Pepsi, and some employee of the store calls Coke and tells them this!? Some people seriously need to mind their own business.

[Someone Stupid]

Coca Cola is VERY territorial. If you've been to Atlanta or live there you know Pepsi is going to cost you at least 1.25 while coke will be the normal dollar. Emory University owns 44% of Coke's stock, there isn't a SINGLE pepsi machine on campus, nor can you get it in the cafeteria. The fast food chains owned by Pepsi are fewer and further inbtw than those that sell coke there. If you like Pepsi, and drink lots of it - moving to atlanta will make it hard for you to continue drinking it, as some grocery stores don't even carry it. They have a LOT of leverage there. So it doesn't surprise me they would do some BS thing like this. Personally I think he should sue the hell out of them - unless it is in his contract that he cannot drink pepsi on the job (which has dubious legal grounds to begin with for many reasons), he should win a nice settlement and make Coca-Cola look really stupid.

[Aznmask]

i post this up about this "Coke employee fired for drinking Pepsi on the job" beczu last night i was listen to John & Jeff radio in 96.9FM Talk. It was kind of interest so i posted this up..

Assume he was on duty delivery coke to store.. and he was thirsty and he grab a pepsi.. THen on his way back to the company some1 (he know) spot him drinking pepsi..

I think it is cruel to fired him but in taht situation if you r the boss you might do the same.. :D

[AllGamer]

it's simply stupid

it's like saying if you were working for Microsoft, but you run LINUX in your own Laptop and you get FIRED when you use your laptop in BREAK times, or LUNCH times :x :mad:

:t

[Cpl_Squirrel]

I'll vote for 'YES, if he signed something saying he is not to do so on company time'.

He should also have his taste buds examined. :p

[gjimene2]

he was drinking the beverage of his choice, so what?

[Someone Stupid]

He could have picked up a bottle of vodka and been drinking that as he made his deliveries. That's something to fire someone for... last time I checked the only ingredients in pepsi were sugar, water, and food coloring. :)

[DocEvi1]

of course our roving reporter has already pointed this out :rolleyes:

Stefan

[strat1]

in violation of Coke's policies intended to prevent slander against the company and its products.

He knew the rules-- screw him. I hate Unions!

[Spardan]

The la-and of the freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee -

and the hoooooo....

lol

what's wrong with pepsi anyway? Mind you, I'm sick of it coz I'm diabetic 2 and can usually only get that or koke in diet...but when I need sugar, ooooooooh, I'm in heaven...spoilt for choice!:p

[dmoltrup]

I very vaguely remember a soft drink commercial, where the delivery driver snuck a drink of the competitor's product. I'm pretty sure it was a Coke driver drinking Pepsi, although I could be wrong. Perhaps Coke is still p****d over this?

[AllGamer]

Yup!

They have actually done it BOTH ways

first Pepsi did it, so a coke driver drinks a pepsi to refresh from the hot delivery day

then a couple of MONTHS later
Coke did the same thing, so just the opposite

:t

[causticVapor]

I know one thing - Tailing on what SS said - restaurants, even here in Europe, that have Coca-cola-based fountains are not allowed to have Pepsi fountains. If the restaurant does it anyway, then Coke will stop supplying syrup, etc. to the restaurant. :rolleyes:

Very hegemonial and an utter monopoly that has gone way out of control. "It's just a colored liquid company" does not cut it as an excuse. No matter what the commodity, a company that has stepped over the line should be punished. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

IF the only reason for this man's firing was that he drank Pepsi on the job and it was NOT part of company policy to not drink competitors' products on the job, then I agree, he should sue.

[cwin]

Just like M$

[strat1]

Originally posted by causticVapor
IF the only reason for this man's firing was that he drank Pepsi on the job and it was NOT part of company policy to not drink competitors' products on the job, then I agree, he should sue.

What if it was stated Clearly in his employment contract?
What if he agreed to the rules when he was Hired?
What the hell happened to repercussions for your actions!

[itismike]

At the university I attend, the McDonald's (which all serve Coke), on campus serves Pepsi! I don't really know the legal reasons, but it always amuses me when I see the value meal signs with a Coke in the background that have been scratched out!

-Mike

[Optimus Prime]

Originally posted by strat1


What if it was stated Clearly in his employment contract?
What if he agreed to the rules when he was Hired?
What the hell happened to repercussions for your actions!

WOW! You quoted him yet failed to read it!

He said if it WASN'T in his companies policy, THEN he should sue.

[dmoltrup]

Originally posted by itismike
At the university I attend, the McDonald's (which all serve Coke), on campus serves Pepsi! I don't really know the legal reasons, but it always amuses me when I see the value meal signs with a Coke in the background that have been scratched out!

-Mike The new generation has lost its choice.
The UA's Memorial Student Union McDonald's restaurant yesterday ripped Dr. Pepper and all other Coke products off its menu, replacing the beverages with Pepsi and Slice.

McDonald's was forced to comply with a multimillion dollar, University of Arizona contract that requires campus food outlets to serve Pepsi products.

"Since we're in the union, we have to switch to Pepsi too," said Dave Osgood, McDonald's manager.

[dmoltrup]

Originally posted by strat1
What the hell happened to repercussions for your actions! Repercussions can only come after discovery of what caused the employee to go against company policy.

Like I mentioned earlier, if the store was out of bottles of Coke, then the ones he delivered were warm. If he wanted a cold soda, then Pepsi would have been the logical choice.

The articles about the situation don't give enough information. Some of the details were probably suppressed. Does it actually go so far as to say that he had a BOTTLE of Pepsi?
What if he bought a sandwich from the store's deli, and fountain Pepsi came with the deal?

[strat1]

Originally posted by dmoltrup
What if he bought a sandwich from the store's deli, and fountain Pepsi came with the deal?

Fired, Fired Fired :p :p

[RayH]

I remember about twenty five years ago, a small, obscure Chinese restaurant changed its soda from Coca Cola products to another distributor (not Pepsi).

Coca Cola sent investigators and other types to pressure the the restaurant to again serve Coca Cola products. The restaurant had a prominent sign "We Do Not Serve Coca Cola."

But that didn't stop the investigators from ordering Coke from the limited English speaking staff. A lawsuit was filed for deceptive practices when an investigator was served another brand of cola, despite the large sign.

Anyway, the issue ended when the small restaurant again served Coca Cola products!

I remember at the time, there was a KFC outlet serving whatever from a machine labled "Pepsi" in cups with the Coca Cola logo!

[causticVapor]

It's just all messed up. IT would probably greatly improve Coca-Cola's image worldwide if they did not stop being so hegemonial...
though I fear Pepsi has responded to this rather aggressively and is doing the same thing... sigh :(

All for slightly differently flavored beverages :rolleyes:

[maje87c]

this is what I like to call corporate bull****. He just drank a soda. He didn't lose customers, or lessen the customer base, and he certainly didn't do anything harmful to himself or others.

I don't care what kind of rules they have, that isn't right. I know it's 'supporting the enemy' or some other bs, and it might be a reasonable thing if the product in question retailed for more than 1 or less USD.

[$1500-P4 gamer]

Originally posted by maje87c
this is what I like to call corporate bull****. He just drank a soda. He didn't lose customers, or lessen the customer base, and he certainly didn't do anything harmful to himself or others.

I don't care what kind of rules they have, that isn't right. I know it's 'supporting the enemy' or some other bs, and it might be a reasonable thing if the product in question retailed for more than 1 or less USD.

Totally agree with every word. How trivial can you get about something. Wether it was in his contract or not you cant make unreal stipualtions. These can be questioned and to extend on that if you hired soemone under the clause they wouldnt breathe-they cant fire you for doing somthing you need to live! This is no dif. IF its really in agreement it shouldnt be-that is the REAL issue.;) :t

[strat1]

Originally posted by $1500-P4 gamer
Totally agree with every word. How trivial can you get about something. Wether it was in his contract or not you cant make unreal stipualtions. These can be questioned and to extend on that if you hired soemone under the clause they wouldnt breathe-they cant fire you for doing somthing you need to live! This is no dif. IF its really in agreement it shouldnt be-that is the REAL issue.;) :t

The TERMS of his employment were clear. He agreed to ALL the Rules when he was hired!

Sorry if you do not agree to the rules after the fact!

[$1500-P4 gamer]

If its a unjust rule it can easily be over turned if you push it. Thats why we have a judicial system in the first place. TO protect the people from other people and unfair unjust stipulations. Of which this is one of. It doesn't matter if you agree to it. LOL thats like saying that since one is a citizen of certain area, and ruler is cruel, you have to take it cause you lived there. You agreed to live there. Say what again. That haint (intentional misspelling-you cant see that then oh well) how it works. Inhumane acts are just that. Unjust ones -same cup of tea.

OH I spelled Inhumane wrong-LOL thats was very trivial -you know its the little things in life that can **** you off.:D

How about supercalifradulisticexpealidotious:rolleyes:

[dmoltrup]

Originally posted by $1500-P4 gamer
...thats like saying that since one is a citizen of certain area and ruler is cruel you have to take it cause you lived there...You really should spell/grammar check, first of all.

Anyway, I think you are taking this way out of proportion. A company protecting its image can by no means be considered "unjust and cruel". An employer can prohibit you from drinking/eating a competitor's product while in uniform. Most mid- to upscale restaurants avoid this problem by asking that their employees not wear the company hats/shirts while off the clock. This avoids the possibly negative image that can occur by an employee conducting day-to-day activities. In the case of delivery drivers, they are not confined to a set location, so it is a tad more difficult to govern. Coke is not saying that an employee cannot drink Pepsi. They are saying that you cannot drink Pepsi while on the clock and in uniform. Coke and Pepsi spend MILLION$ and MILLION$ of dollars to project an image. They may seem like a cruel gargantuan superpower, but they employ thousands of employees. The economy depends on these companies. In a small way, YOU depend on these companies. When their stock drops, so does your future. It might be a far cry, but it is true. Another point to make is that these companies are protected by the law. Believe it or not, the companies have more protection than the employees do. When pitted against one-another, the corporation would make a bigger impact in tax revenue and the economy than a single person would. I guess to boil it down to a single point, if I were to spend $50million in advertising, only to find that an emplyee of mine smeared my image by consuming a competitor's product while in uniform, making people wonder, "what does this insider know that I don't", I would be P*SS*D!! Unless this person had REAL GOOD reason, he would be looking for a job from the competitor!

[$1500-P4 gamer]

Your talking about $1 worth of soda resulting in one being fired with loss of medical/dental etc. benefits and I'M BLOWING IT OUT OF PROPORTION! I think Coke already did that! Its not like he danced around with the soda saying "COKE SUCKS, Pepsi rules don't buy coke anymore look I'm an employ and I PREFER Pepsi" or something. It isn't as bad for their image as you make it out to be. Face it, you strongly agree-I do not. Leave it at that. I hate corporate politics and I have POLITICS ruled by corporations. Vice-verse one hand shakes the other. This is right up that alley IMHO which I'm entitled to whether you like my opinion or not..Loosen up guys, why all the tension around here lately?:confused:

[strat1]

I guess i will say it again!

He agreed to the rules when he was hired- It was in his contract! This is not school, High School sports or the playground we are dealing with- it is a huge corporation with Rules that you must follow to be a part of.

Sorry if you do not like the rules, don’t work there and don’t buy Coke, but shut up with your *****in cause some jackoff broke the rules and was caught!

[causticVapor]

There is a point where it's blantantly obvious that something is

RIDICULOUS

Contractual or not :rolleyes:

[cwin]

Yea! But then again, i think billy would fire you for using linux - he probably does house calls and shoves in his plug and pray LINUX tester, scans the computer for EVER using linux, even before formats somehow...
My friend had a 30 day trial on his PC which expired, and since then he has zapped his drive a few times. Just recently he triend installing it again and it wouldnt run because the licence had expired. Worked fine on my machine :D

[$1500-P4 gamer]

Originally posted by causticVapor
There is a point where it's blantantly obvious that something is

RIDICULOUS

Contractual or not :rolleyes:

Exactly my point.:D

[mireland]

http://www.fancysplace.com/smileys/pepsi.gif

[Timmac4]

Wow it's amazing to see how much people's opinions very and how strongly some people feel about different areas of life. For my personal opinion I would have to agree with Strat1 on this one. A rule is a rule and once agreed upon if broken you should be terminated. I have heard the argument of it being only a dollar that changed this man's life, but I bet that if you took an item of one dollar value from your company with their knowledge you would be terminated too in most cases. Bottom line wrong is wrong and if you know better and do it anyway, you should have to pay the consequenses.

[maje87c]

It would be a good business move if Pepsi hired this guy.

Think about it-not only does it make pepsi look like they support thier customers, it also makes coke look like an ***!