Jaimz Dillman, an Orlando actor and SAK Comedy lab ensemble apprentice, was part of a group of Universal actors who were involved in the creation of a calendar showing photos taken backstage of employees in various amounts of dress. She and the other five actors (THIS NUMBER IS UNCONFIRMED) were fired and given a "No-Rehire" status this Tuesday by Universal Orlando Human Resources. According to Dillman's blog, this is unlike the treatment given to others who've done similar things and she's appealing the "No-Rehire" status. I asked her permission to repost portions of her recent blog post about the whole event and she allowed me to:
As of today I am no longer at Universal Studios.
It started last week when I was pulled out of my shift to report to HR. Once I sat down I saw the one thing that could come back to haunt me. Six months ago some friends and I took some backstage photos during an event and as an end-of-the-event gift to them I made them into a calender.
At the end of questioning I asked where they got it and they wouldn't tell me. That's a part that bothers me. It was made for the people involved as a gag-gift. I consider everyone I gave them to my friends and I hate to think of how it ended up at HR.
I also went into my MySpace page in their office and, even though there weren't any of the pictures in question posted, they had me remove different shots of me in costume.
I was suspended last Tuesday, went to Chicago this weekend for an Improv festival, and then this morning I was terminated due to breaking the Universal guidelines and policies of photographs taken backstage. And they said I have a no-rehire staus. I'm appealing that now as I know other team members who have done the same thing yet no disciplinary actions were done to them.
But I know I screwed up. Right now I'm torn between remorse and anger. Remorse that it was a stupid thing to do. Angry that 6 months later several people lost their jobs and it didn't have to be like that.
My engagement party and wedding plans are on hold as I was making pretty sweet Actor A money there at the end. Now I'm picking up extra hours at Starbucks making half of what I had at USF.
So, friends, I warn you this...be VERY careful what pictures you take at work, what pictures you have taken of yourself at work, which ones get posted on your MySpace or even someone elses, and be very VERY careful with who you think your friends are.