Religion in the work place. What's your take?

[SlitheryDee]

Nothing wrong with a signature that conveys a bit of the personality of the person who sent the message, whatever that signature may contain.

So who's going to do the disallowing? Seems like the only way to make it universal would be to make it federal law. Does anyone really want that? I'd like to keep that decision with the individual businesses, personally. I'm against religion in the workplace when it comes to taking me aside and proselytizing to me, but that's the extent of it. I say wear your faith proudly wherever you want, just don't take any of my time actually talking about it.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Just put something about wicca or the FSM in your sig. Only fair. :evil:

Touched by His Noodly Appendage

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
Nothing wrong with a signature that conveys a bit of the personality of the person who sent the message, whatever that signature may contain.

I'll try again. How about a few sample signatures just to express the personality of people that likely exist in most companies:

"Join the gay pride parade in 2009!"
"All praise be to Allah"
"god is a myth."
"NOBAMA!"
"Bush is a moron."

So, the last three were fairly negative, but tell me all of you taking no issue would continue to take no issue if it was a Muslim instead of a Christian?

It's all inappropriate, all of it. I'm again saying that it would seem to me to be no issue in showing that it's a violation of a use policy and a form of harassment at work.

So who's going to do the disallowing?

The company, obviously. If they want to project themselves as a Christian, Muslim, Gay, Lesbian, Right-Wing company then more power to them; however, if they have a policy for the purposes of projecting an image they've worked to establish and an employee operates against those policies, that employee will and should be fired post haste. I still see no evidence other than a few vacuous quotes that anyone would stand a chance in a suit against the company.

Seems like the only way to make it universal would be to make it federal law.

Hell no. No one is suggesting that. Come on now...

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Does not matter. It is a perfectly valid comparison as the law considers them the same. You can't pick and choose which protected class you agree with.

Employer - "You need to remove the god from your signature"
Employee - "So your discriminating against my religion with disciplinary action?"
Employer - "Umm, errr, umm, that's not what I meant"
Employee - "That's what I thought. I'll keep my signature and my bible on my desk."

Exactly!

Thanks,
Skace
IT Consulting
Satan Bless you!
Mexico ROXXXXXXX
White Power!
I'm retarded
Men are the best

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: spidey07
Does not matter. It is a perfectly valid comparison as the law considers them the same. You can't pick and choose which protected class you agree with.

Employer - "You need to remove the god from your signature"
Employee - "So your discriminating against my religion with disciplinary action?"
Employer - "Umm, errr, umm, that's not what I meant"
Employee - "That's what I thought. I'll keep my signature and my bible on my desk."

Exactly!

Thanks,
Skace
IT Consulting
Satan Bless you!
Mexico ROXXXXXXX
White Power!
I'm retarded
Men are the best

LOL! I think you got a royal flush.

 

[Crono]

As long as it's not interfering with work, and it's kept civil, I see no problem with people talking about or sharing their religious beliefs. People have the right to work in peace, though, so if someone absolutely doesn't want to hear or talk about your religion, you should have the decency to leave that person alone.

Some people are overly sensitive, though. Having a signature with a quote from the Bible, or any religious text (the Qur'an, for example), shouldn't be offensive, provided it isn't a personal attack or says something like "you will burn in hell" (just making that up, but you get what I mean). I've had plenty of civil discussions with Muslim co-workers in the past, as well as atheists, Hindus, and people of other religious backgrounds, and often it is a interesting learning experience for everyone, including myself.

If a person doesn't want to hear the gospel, I don't share it with him or her. Contrary to popular belief, the Bible doesn't say to "shove religion down peoples throats", but to share with all who are willing to hear. I will admit that some Christians (or supposed Christians) take the I-wear-my-Christianity-on-my-sleeve to the extreme, in contrast to more mature Christians who tend to walk and talk peace and the theology of the Bible.

 

[Muse]

Oh, religion should be everywhere.

 

[Mide]

Keep all religion to yourself in the workplace.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: daniel1113


Good comparison, considering one cannot choose his skin color but can absolutely choose his religion. Would you like to make any more giant leaps?

As for religion being a protected class, I should have been more specific. Employers are required to make reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs, but that's it. They can absolutely ban people from using corporate email to transmit personal information, religious or otherwise.

Does not matter. It is a perfectly valid comparison as the law considers them the same. You can't pick and choose which protected class you agree with.

Employer - "You need to remove the god from your signature"
Employee - "So your discriminating against my religion with disciplinary action?"
Employer - "Umm, errr, umm, that's not what I meant"
Employee - "That's what I thought. I'll keep my signature and my bible on my desk."

Wrong. I would say we do not allow ANY religion in the work place. You leave it I fire you.

I work Fed Gov HR and have already come upon this several times and people have been removed, and it stuck after going to the board.

You have no idea how the law works, and after reading many of your post I don;t think you know much about anything.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: daniel1113


Good comparison, considering one cannot choose his skin color but can absolutely choose his religion. Would you like to make any more giant leaps?

As for religion being a protected class, I should have been more specific. Employers are required to make reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs, but that's it. They can absolutely ban people from using corporate email to transmit personal information, religious or otherwise.

Does not matter. It is a perfectly valid comparison as the law considers them the same. You can't pick and choose which protected class you agree with.

Employer - "You need to remove the god from your signature"
Employee - "So your discriminating against my religion with disciplinary action?"
Employer - "Umm, errr, umm, that's not what I meant"
Employee - "That's what I thought. I'll keep my signature and my bible on my desk."

Employer - "Company policy prohibits personal statements in email signatures"

 

[Gunslinger08]

Religion at work - Don't care. You aren't hurting anyone with your bible/framed prayers/praying 5 times a day towards Mecca.
Personal statements/pictures in email signatures - You're fired. Very unprofessional.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: Descartes


So, the last three were fairly negative, but tell me all of you taking no issue would continue to take no issue if it was a Muslim instead of a Christian?

Well...no, not really. It's all hogwash to me, but a lot of people like and identify with it. I would say that any and all personalized items, be they written or other means of expression, should be limited to inter-office correspondence and be positive or at least neutral in nature. That means you can't say this or that sucks a big one in any case. Management can have the final say here in cases of conflict. It makes no difference what it comes from when "Praise <insert deity here>" or "<insert group here> Pride!" really only means "Yay"! in practical terms does it?

It's all inappropriate, all of it. I'm again saying that it would seem to me to be no issue in showing that it's a violation of a use policy and a form of harassment at work.

I'm disagreeing with you here because I don't see it as harassment so long as it's unobtrusive. There's a distinct difference between harassment and something that your eyes may fall upon, but does you no harm and takes up none of your time if you don't choose to let it. I don't want anyone ever demanding that my attention be pulled away from whatever I happen to be working on for the purposes of preaching to me. If they did that I would say I'm being harassed, but if they're just signing their e-mails with "Praise Allah"! why should I care? That's nothing to me and it guarantees that I can put my little harmless quote from some author or another in my e-mail.

Seems like the only way to make it universal would be to make it federal law.

Hell no. No one is suggesting that. Come on now...

[/quote]

Dunno. It seems like that's always where stuff like this ends up. Got some minor gripe? Legislation is your answer! You can have that thing those other people "ought not be doing" made illegal lickety-split!

 

[JulesMaximus]

I am not religious so I don't mention it.

People who do mention it are generally self-righteous morons who I wouldn't bother engaging in normal conversation anyway.