Santa Claus says he’s been sacked by Macy’s because of his naughty jokes – to adults.
John Tommey’s job as Santa Claus at Macy’s in San Francisco came to an abrupt end after 20 years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Tommey claims it was because of a slightly racy joke he made to an older couple: He asked them if they had been good that year, and when they said they had, he replied, "Gee that’s too bad." The couple apparently complained to management about it.
Many customers were upset that their beloved Santa had been fired. Macy’s has not commented on why they gave Tommey the heave-ho. Fortunately Santa is jolly again – he’s accepted a job at another location.
Thankfully in British Columbia a termination for this relatively harmless joke would not warrant termination unless Santa had been warned about making jokes of this nature. Employees generally cannot be terminated for just cause unless their conduct was so extreme that it destroyed the root of the employment contract – the conduct has to be so bad that it destroys the trust that an employer needs to have in an employee.