Do your workmates know of your beliefs?

[Whitemane]

Do your work mates know your beliefs? No and it's a good thing. Get a load of this:

I live in the USA. My boss brought up religion in the workplace. I responded that I believe in the first amendment of our constitution and I gently stated that people should have the right to believe as they wish as long as they do not impose through violence, intimidation or false representation, their beliefs on others. I also said that we should be able to have the intelligence and maturity to share beliefs and ideas without feeling threatened. I was accused of being a “D....... Liberal” and my job was threatened. The other co-workers actually "snickered".

I passed the information on to my lawyer. I guess I’ll be unemployed soon. I’m not shocked at their behaviour, but just ….disappointed. Oh well....

Cheers

Whoever this is, they are quite right, and in the US they should have a boatload of legal protections and might want to consider filing a complaint with the EEOC in addition to the lawyer. If they are unemployed soon, they may well be able to buy the company when the courts have finished with it.

[Michael C. Page]

Do your work mates know your beliefs? No and it's a good thing. Get a load of this:

I live in the USA. My boss brought up religion in the workplace. I responded that I believe in the first amendment of our constitution and I gently stated that people should have the right to believe as they wish as long as they do not impose through violence, intimidation or false representation, their beliefs on others. I also said that we should be able to have the intelligence and maturity to share beliefs and ideas without feeling threatened. I was accused of being a “D....... Liberal” and my job was threatened. The other co-workers actually "snickered".

I passed the information on to my lawyer. I guess I’ll be unemployed soon. I’m not shocked at their behaviour, but just ….disappointed. Oh well....

Cheers

Whoever this is, they are quite right, and in the US they should have a boatload of legal protections and might want to consider filing a complaint with the EEOC in addition to the lawyer. If they are unemployed soon, they may well be able to buy the company when the courts have finished with it.

Ummmm...That would be me - That's who it is. And yes, the EEOC and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission are being called. I just....oh well.

Cheers

[Whitemane]

Sorry, I think you were just a bit too elliptical for me.

Rather than wishing you good luck, I think you have everything on your side and say that I hope justice is done.

I will however forego my customary comment about hoping that justice involves an iron box with spikes on the inside.

[Michael C. Page]

Sorry, I think you were just a bit too elliptical for me.

Rather than wishing you good luck, I think you have everything on your side and say that I hope justice is done.

I will however forego my customary comment about hoping that justice involves an iron box with spikes on the inside.

Sorry that I was not clear in my post and thanks for the well wishes. At this point it still just does not seem real. I keep pinching myself to see if it's not a bad dream.

[Michael C. Page]

Do your work mates know your beliefs? No and it's a good thing. Get a load of this:

I live in the USA. My boss brought up religion in the workplace. I responded that I believe in the first amendment of our constitution and I gently stated that people should have the right to believe as they wish as long as they do not impose through violence, intimidation or false representation, their beliefs on others. I also said that we should be able to have the intelligence and maturity to share beliefs and ideas without feeling threatened. I was accused of being a “D....... Liberal” and my job was threatened. The other co-workers actually "snickered".

I passed the information on to my lawyer. I guess I’ll be unemployed soon. I’m not shocked at their behaviour, but just ….disappointed. Oh well....

Cheers

Update:

Well I had lovely talks with the EEOC and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. Both were very helpful and courteous. Unfortunately, the EEOC could not help, due to the fact that my particular work atmosphere is under six people and the Indiana CRC cannot do anything until my employment is actually terminated, as Indiana is a “Right to Employ State”. So, as far as my particular situation stands I have no recourse for now.

Lesson Learned: I really should just work for myself and not have a boss….er….especially during an election year.

Cheery Pip All,
Mike

[Susanne]

Update:

Well I had lovely talks with the EEOC and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. Both were very helpful and courteous. Unfortunately, the EEOC could not help, due to the fact that my particular work atmosphere is under six people and the Indiana CRC cannot do anything until my employment is actually terminated, as Indiana is a “Right to Employ State”. So, as far as my particular situation stands I have no recourse for now.

Lesson Learned: I really should just work for myself and not have a boss….er….especially during an election year.

Cheery Pip All,
Mike
[/quote]
Ah Michael....my sympathies, hang in there! As a rep. & VP of our nurses union I've unfortunately had some dealings with state labor laws, workplace grievances....
Being in such a small place it must be hard for you to avoid this sort of thing. I'm not sure what kind of work you do & if you are very attached to it. This may be the call for you to find some other place to work with people that may be closer to your ideals.

It's funny that you mention an election year. I got a great email from a friend of mine that was decidedly liberal. I wanted to share it with my coworkers but had to preface it with ..."are there any republicans in the room?" Vermont has quite a political dichotomy among the residents which make it interesting most & a little scary sometimes!
I wish you luck!
Sue

[Lily]

A boss, whom I otherwise hated so much I honestly wouldn't mind seeing him burn in hell one day told me this piece of advice:

in a professional situation, there are three topics you do not t talk about: politics, religion, or sex. You have no Idea who you might offend.

[Michael C. Page]

Sue: Thanks. I’m just preparing to leave. The unwarranted outbursts of my boss convinces me that I should not be there, so I’m organizing everything for my replacement (whoever that will be). After the convention next week, I’ll hand in my notice and see what her reaction is. I know she’s just hanging on to me long enough so she does not have to deal directly with putting on the education seminars (which oddly enough deal with Civil Rights and Discrimination)….weird eh?

Lily: I totally agree with you, unfortunately it was my boss that brought it up and I thought that a basic reply about the constitutional rights of all in the USA would be safe. Boy was I ever wrong! Oh well.

Thank Gals,
Mike

[Branflakes]

The other day at work on our lunch break, a coworker asked me what I was reading, and I told him "The Book of Druidry." And he said, "Does that tell you how to become a Druid? Do you learn all about Stonehenge?" I just smiled and said, "Something like that." He's pretty cool, though, and he knows I'm pagan. He and I usually have philosophical, deep conversations as we work, anyway, so it wasn't out of the ordinary. lol. I don't bother to tell anyone else unless they ask. Sometimes they do ask, but mostly not.

[Whitemane]

A boss, whom I otherwise hated so much I honestly wouldn't mind seeing him burn in hell one day told me this piece of advice:

in a professional situation, there are three topics you do not t talk about: politics, religion, or sex. You have no Idea who you might offend.

Quite right, and in the US, saying you wouldn't care if the NCAA disappeared in a puff of smoke will get you hate mail...

Where I work we are very dependent on contractors from the subcontinent, and because we do business with the Federal government, we are very tightly regulated by EEOC legislation. However, this is one woman in our area who insists on wearing a large wooden cross on open display. I'm almost tempted to start wearing something obviously pagan just to see what happens.

Unfortunately, the fire marshal won't let me light candles in my icicle (like a cubicle, only cooler) , even though I'm in the vanguard of our paperless office transition.

[Whitemane]

Sue: Thanks. I’m just preparing to leave. The unwarranted outbursts of my boss convinces me that I should not be there, so I’m organizing everything for my replacement (whoever that will be). After the convention next week, I’ll hand in my notice and see what her reaction is. I know she’s just hanging on to me long enough so she does not have to deal directly with putting on the education seminars (which oddly enough deal with Civil Rights and Discrimination)….weird eh?

Lily: I totally agree with you, unfortunately it was my boss that brought it up and I thought that a basic reply about the constitutional rights of all in the USA would be safe. Boy was I ever wrong! Oh well.

Thank Gals,
Mike

Sorry to hear that, but if you have a boss having multiple outbursts, then being out of there might be your best option. Hope you can find a better spot soon.

[Kima]

A boss, whom I otherwise hated so much I honestly wouldn't mind seeing him burn in hell one day told me this piece of advice:

in a professional situation, there are three topics you do not t talk about: politics, religion, or sex. You have no Idea who you might offend.

I don't like this much. I understand the risk of offending people, and I generally don't start conversations about politics, religion, or sex. On the other hand, silence serves the powers already in place. It means that only the majority get to express themselves.

For instance, if I talk about an ex-boyfriend, no one will bat an eyelid. It's completely neutral. Now if instead I was to mention an ex-girlfriend, that would bring up the whole subject of sexual orientation and potentially be a lot more controversial. To me it's just the same thing, but the minority status makes the second statement "a delicate subject" that I am not supposed to express casually in a work environment. Censuring that allows conservative ideas to remain unchallenged.

[DJ Droood]

A boss, whom I otherwise hated so much I honestly wouldn't mind seeing him burn in hell one day told me this piece of advice:

in a professional situation, there are three topics you do not t talk about: politics, religion, or sex. You have no Idea who you might offend.

I don't like this much. I understand the risk of offending people, and I generally don't start conversations about politics, religion, or sex. On the other hand, silence serves the powers already in place. It means that only the majority get to express themselves.

For instance, if I talk about an ex-boyfriend, no one will bat an eyelid. It's completely neutral. Now if instead I was to mention an ex-girlfriend, that would bring up the whole subject of sexual orientation and potentially be a lot more controversial. To me it's just the same thing, but the minority status makes the second statement "a delicate subject" that I am not supposed to express casually in a work environment. Censuring that allows conservative ideas to remain unchallenged.

I am of the opinion that work conversations should be primarily focused on work, and some team-building pleasantries, and we shouldn't have to be subjected to, or subject other's to "off-topic" personal news and opinions....not just controversial politico-religious stuff, but yap yap about your cousin's niece. Open up, if you want, at breaks and lunch or after-work bevvies. (or facebook or the DHP!)

[Lily]

I am of the opinion that work conversations should be primarily focused on work, and some team-building pleasantries, and we shouldn't have to be subjected to, or subject other's to "off-topic" personal news and opinions....not just controversial politico-religious stuff, but yap yap about your cousin's niece.

Mmh. I've started being careful about making "friends" at work, particularly if they are, or might be one day, your boss.

[Whitemane]

I am of the opinion that work conversations should be primarily focused on work, and some team-building pleasantries, and we shouldn't have to be subjected to, or subject other's to "off-topic" personal news and opinions....not just controversial politico-religious stuff, but yap yap about your cousin's niece. Open up, if you want, at breaks and lunch or after-work bevvies. (or facebook or the DHP!)

That's perfectly reasonable and appropriate. Sometimes it is better, even for team-building, just to let the yapping run. I don't necessarily want to hear about a 10-year-olds' soccer game, but those kids are often the centre of your interlocutors life, and it is better for the atmosphere and cohesion just to let them talk and listen politely.

BTW, my OBOD CDs sit on my desk in my cubicle, and nobody has said anything yet.

[DJ Droood]

I am of the opinion that work conversations should be primarily focused on work, and some team-building pleasantries, and we shouldn't have to be subjected to, or subject other's to "off-topic" personal news and opinions....not just controversial politico-religious stuff, but yap yap about your cousin's niece. Open up, if you want, at breaks and lunch or after-work bevvies. (or facebook or the DHP!)

That's perfectly reasonable and appropriate. Sometimes it is better, even for team-building, just to let the yapping run. I don't necessarily want to hear about a 10-year-olds' soccer game, but those kids are often the centre of your interlocutors life, and it is better for the atmosphere and cohesion just to let them talk and listen politely.

Yes...that is very true....yap yap even makes me more productive, perhaps...when the baby pictures come out, it is a good time to make a supplies run.

[djinn]

Yes...that is very true....yap yap even makes me more productive, perhaps...when the baby pictures come out, it is a good time to make a supplies run.

baby pictures will do that every time!

I happily yapyap during lunchbreaks, because for us it makes for a relaxed atmosphere and actually helps teambuilding.
Always have avoided discussions about politics, sexual orientation and religion with my colleagues, though.
My views on that are absolutely none of their business.

And this was only fortified after a very unexpected religious catholic outburst (in short: there need to be rules for a good life and catholicism is the only religion that provides them) from one of my colleagues, whom I had figured a little more open to other ways of life. Nice topic for a coffee break!

I asked if he really thought that people who were agnosts or simply not into religion were not able to have a set of rules about right and wrong and an idea about their place and purpose in the world. He was completely convinced that was not possible. Other faiths are perhaps aiming well but erring anyway, but the atheists are simply without basic goodness. And those atheists who happen to have a good set of rules were brought up in religion and swayed later, according to him. Wow.

I very much disagreed with him on the subject, a couple of other colleagues challenged him as well, and for the rest of the day the working space had cooled off remarkably. Not good for results. We have avoided the topic ever since and returned to the yapyap, at least to cement the 'normal' daily routine.