Presumably, if you didn’t sign this modified employment contract, you effectively are forced to quit your job.
Car dealerships around the United States are feeling the financial pinch because there’s little demand for new cars thanks to rising unemployment and strict shelter in place orders. While most dealerships are firing staff and cutting hours, this Nissan dealership in Houma, Louisiana tried to go one step further, cutting benefits out of their employment contract and forcing employees to sign it or quit their job. According to a leaked document posted on the Humble Mechanic’s Facebook Page, Geri Lynn LLC Nissan was called out on social media for stripping benefits to save money and, after being criticized online to no end, retracted their statement, issuing their own apology.
First, here’s the document sent in by an employee.
While a handful of states have paid Sick Days, Sick Leave, and paid vacation, Louisiana does not. This is noteworthy because whatever sick and vacation days Geri Lynn Nissan offered its employees, those are not required by law and are benefits of working here.
Nevertheless, a document removing benefits and allowing an employer to remove more benefits at their discretion without your approval is, in my opinion, the wrong move in these uncertain times.
To add insult to injury, guaranteeing a certain amount of money to salespeople, a stipulation that has no bearing on service managers, workers in parts departments, technicians, detailers, and management, is unnecessary.
Negative backlash rolled in on their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Reviews, and Yelp pages.
Here’s what one commenter on Google Reviews posted about the situation.
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In response, the owner, Geri Lynn posted this update on her personal Facebook and updated the dealership’s page. This screenshot comes courtesy of a comment on that Humble Mechanic Facebook Post. She essentially rolled back any modifications to the exsisting employment contract.
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Go ahead and take a peek at the comments angry Facebook users posted in their update above.
Like most statements retracting bad decisions, this was most likely done to save face, stop the influx of negative social media aimed at them, and to restore whatever image they have with the local community.
Hopefully Geri Lynn Nissan’s PR fumble will serve as a reminder to businesses everywhere, in times of crisis and when making rash decisions to save your company, a fresh set of unbiased eyes on your next steps might save you from making a social media fiasco.
Thank you for covering this story. If we don’t exploit tyrannical people and businesses like this then we will never make progress as a whole. It’s really disappointing and appalling to witness something like this especially during these times. All we can really do is try to stay informed and make better decisions with how we spend our money to avoid lining the pockets of the Geri’s out there.