A manager at an Indiana Dollar Tree store has been fired after putting up a hiring sign that was not only discriminatory but may be illegal under federal law.
The sign, which was posted in the chain's Bremen, Indiana store, indicated that the manager would hire "Baby Boomers only" because of "lazy" Gen Z workers.
The handwritten sign appeared in the window after two supposedly Gen Z cashiers quit, forcing the store to shut down.
The incident has gone viral after being highlighted on consumer advocacy and social justice TikTok account @servingyoudaily. See their post about the "help wanted" sign below.
The handwritten sign read:
"I apologize for us closing AGAIN."
"My 2 new cashiers quit because I said their boyfriends couldn’t stand here for their entire shift."
"Don’t hire Gen Z’s. They don’t know what work actually means. NOW HIRING!"
"*Baby Boomers ONLY, thanks!"
Definitions vary, but most demographers and social scientists designate Baby Boomers as those born between 1946 and 1964, and Generation Z as those born between 1997 and 2012.
That would make Baby Boomers 76-58 years-old and Gen Z 25-10 years-old.
Obviously, only hiring Baby Boomers is discriminatory not only against Generation Z, but also millennials, Generation X and those over 76 years of age.
Local news station 16 News Now spoke with people in the Bremen community who are unhappy with the incident.
One frequent Dollar Tree customer, who definitely does not fit the manager's hireable age bracket, told the outlet:
“You’re going to get people from every group who are lazy and work hard."
"I’m sure when baby boomers were young, they were probably also called lazy, and it just keeps going on from generation to generation."
16 News Now also spoke with a local attorney, who confirmed such a hiring practice would be in violation of federal law
Pinning the store's staffing problems on one generation in particular doesn't make much sense given with the company's long history of staffing problems—which date back to at least 2019 before the pandemic caused staffing shortages—and before many Gen Z workers were even old enough to hold a job.
On Twitter, people found the incident ridiculous, especially considering how undesirable low-wage jobs like those at Dollar Tree are.
And folks on TikTok firmly agreed.
@twotonchihuahua/TikTok
@blacklightaura/TikTok
@enellriley/TikTok
@fibfdbk/TikTok
@rachaelsmith038/TikTok
Dollar Tree has also been the defendant in at least 15 class action lawsuits brought by employees over wage issues. Gen Z's supposed laziness is probably the least of their staffing problems.