Professional chicken catcher fired over his bad attitude

Professional chicken catcher Joshua Spickler was fired in January over what his ex-employer said was a bad attitude.

On Thursday, Commonwealth Court concluded that was enough to deny the Northumberland County man unemployment compensation benefits, too, on grounds that his supposed negativity constituted willful misconduct. The state court turned aside Spickler's arguments that the evidence his attitude had declined to the point where it was negatively affecting co-workers at B&B Catching Services Inc. was nothing but hearsay.

According to court filings, Spickler worked at B&B in Dornsife, Pennsylvania, for nearly five years. His former employer claimed his attitude started going downhill after he and co-workers were told in May 2012 that their bonuses would be reduced because of a downturn in business. Spickler's alleged poor attitude resulted first in his demotion from a crew chief post. His employers claimed he started refusing orders, cut up a company gas card and spoke ill of the firm to fellow employees.

He was warned that he could be fired if he didn't change his ways, B&B officials claimed. In upholding the jobless benefit denial, Commonwealth Court noted that several B&B officials testified that Spickler had a negative attitude that adversely affected his co-workers, so there was "substantial evidence" that was the basis for his firing.