What to do if an owner or boss is breaking the rules?

[Nikia]

It is my job to enforce the GMPs (rules for sanitarily producing food) at my food plant. A GMP at all food plants, as mandated by law, is wearing hairnets. One of the evil partners (part owner) was visiting and brought someone else into the plant. They were not wearing hairnets. The partner has been to our plant many times and knows that wearing a hairnet is an important thing to do and has always worn one before. I asked the production supervisor why he didn't say anything. He said that he was afraid of getting fired and that I shouldn't say anything for the same reason. Luckily my boss showed up on the scene a few minutes later and I talked to him about the situation. My boss who is involved in some very important money making projects, and thus bad to fire, approached the men with hairnets and made them wear them. The problem was solved, but if my boss had not been there, should I have said something. I call the man evil because he is very illogically demanding and egotistical among other things. It is possible that he would sack people on the spot for offending him. Could I have filed a lawsuit? Would I have at least gotten unemployment? Would potential future employers agree that I'd been unjustiably fired? I am a type that hates serving people just because they are the one's with power if they have no merit or are clearly wrong, as he was in this case. Is it a bad thing to be disrespectful to an owner or boss by asking him (or her) to obey the company's rules which are also the law.

[lazarus]

1. Are there no Fed inspectors there?

USDA or FDA people? The processing plants I worked at had USDA inspectors, and you could just quietly tell one of them, and they'd take care of it.

[Nikia]

2. They are only there occaisionally

They come in a few times a year. They are there during the entire run of a government contract, which we've done occaisionally in the past. Normally, there is no one from the outside there. I believe that they are required for meat plants, since meat is more suseptible to health threatening contaimnation. Our processing does not require government inspectors. It would make my job a lot easier if they did.

[guitar man]

3. If it is your job

to enforce the rules,then enforce the rules. If you were to get fired for doing your job,you would have a better case for wrongful discharge than you would for not doing it. I would be polite about it.

The USDA is also supposed to back you up in an instance such as
this. A union is the best protection you can get.

[Nikia]

4. I'd be interested in general thoughts on the subject too

Is the boss always right even when he or she is wrong? Should the rules not apply to someone who holds the power in the business? Is one's primary job function making those in charge in happy even if it is in conflict with what you are suppose to be doing? I really hope to leave this company soon voluntarily, but I think that these are important questions in general.