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What do these institutions have to gain from doing these things?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by Mathloom, Jan 9, 2014.

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  1. Mathloom

    Mathloom Shameless Optimist

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    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/dec/23/marks-and-spencer-muslim-alcohol

    http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201..._to_work_with_women_sparks_rights_debate.html

    Why don't these employers just say "F off" to people who make such special requests? Why would any logical business owner hire someone knowing that they will have to work at a disadvantage? What if someone invented a religion and said that their religion requires them to take 3 sacred lunch breaks?

    Tolerance is a fantastic thing in general, but not when it starts to affect others.
     
    #1 Mathloom, Jan 9, 2014
  2. CometsWin

    CometsWin Breaker Breaker One Nine

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    I don't think those examples are the same. The alcohol thing to me is fine. It's considered a vice to many so I get that. The not working with women thing, that's bull****.
     
    #2 CometsWin, Jan 9, 2014
  3. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    There's similar situations in the US involving pharmacists who refuse to sell the Plan B contraception based on religious beliefs. A couple of court rulings have upheld the right of those pharmacist to not sell Plan B because of their moral views.

    In another case though Muslim cab drivers in Minnesota who refused to pick up passengers with alcohol from the airport the Minnesota courts have said they have to pick up those passengers.

    Generally, at least in the US, there are laws calling for reasonable accommodation of religious beliefs in employment. So forcing an employee who can't handle alcohol to sell or stock alcohol when there are other jobs they could do that wouldn't be considered reasonable.
     
    #3 rocketsjudoka, Jan 9, 2014
  4. Depressio

    Depressio Member

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    Because then they'd have to deal with the legal issue of discrimination. Yes, that's really, really stupid, but it's the truth of it.

    The people that get these jobs that they can't do effectively because of some ridiculous belief system are ignorant of their own hypocrisy; they don't seem to understand that they become a less effective employee by not doing a particular job, and then get mad when someone fires them or doesn't hire them for being less effective.

    It's not just religion either. Royce White is another example. Why are you playing basketball, a job that requires a lot of travel, if you have a crippling anxiety towards travel? And then getting mad when your employer expects you to travel? It's ridiculously stupid.

    I think a lot of companies weigh the cost of either having a less effective employee, or the potential legal battle on discrimination if they get rid of 'em (which they might win, but it'd still cost). Seems like they lean towards the latter. It's bull****, but it's the reality, I think.
     
    #4 Depressio, Jan 9, 2014
  5. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Member

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    If you can accommodate and still get value from the employee, why wouldn't you? I have an employee we who doesn't want to work Sundays. Fine, we give those hours to someone else. He's still great on Saturday.
     
    #5 JuanValdez, Jan 9, 2014
  6. Mathloom

    Mathloom Shameless Optimist

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    That's fine, as long as all your employees can randomly request avoiding a certain day with the same amount of reasoning. Then it's a fair policy for your business, and neither customers nor your bottom line are affected.

    What doesn't make sense is if you only afforded such luxuries to Christian employees and now you have to hire someone to help on Sundays.

    The question is: is it reasonable? Obviously if there's no problem at all for any stakeholder, then why not?

    But if it's a religious thing you give in to, then you are opening yourself up to people making up religious duties just to work a little less. Who cares what they do in that time. What if someone tells you their religion requires them to take the 3 busiest business days of the year off? You have to draw the line for all, or for none. The same line, and it shouldn't be based on how much you legitimize someone else's particular set of beliefs.
     
    #6 Mathloom, Jan 10, 2014
  7. Mathloom

    Mathloom Shameless Optimist

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    Works the other way around too though, right?

    Today if I'm a non-Muslim M&S employee, I'm now asking: can I say I don't want to handle anything made out of cotton? If not, is the organization showing preferential treatment to those who don't want to handle alcohol? Why do they get to say "sorry can't help you" but if you do the same thing, you're effed?
     
    #7 Mathloom, Jan 10, 2014
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