Employee fired for wearing Ten Commandments pin.

[RedWhite&Blue]

Christopher Word - who attends the same church as "Ten commandments Judge" Roy Moore - said his boss, Hoover, Alabama Chamber of Commerce Executive director Bill Powell, confronted him Monday after a weekly staff meeting, the Birmingham News reported. word said he was told, "I could either take it off or I've got to go."

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38567

[Albert]

The law is pretty clear on this, your employer has the right to require your uniform (which can be a three piece suit or a set of coveralls) conform with the public image the employer wants to project as long as it is not personally degrading to the employee. So as much as it seems to be about the Ten Commandments its really about employers rights.

[xexon]

This is true. You take their money, you have to do as they say.




x

[Ronnieraygun]

The law is pretty clear on this, your employer has the right to require your uniform (which can be a three piece suit or a set of coveralls) conform with the public image the employer wants to project as long as it is not personally degrading to the employee. So as much as it seems to be about the Ten Commandments its really about employers rights.

This would be true unless other employees are wearing pins with slogans, or catch phrases....If the policy has been established, then this would be a clear case of discrimination.


Word told his boss he wanted to wear it again after suffering a crisis of conscience. Powell, according to Word, agreed, saying he could continue to wear it as long as it didn't affect his work.

Powell also said, according to Word, he would support his employee if any chamber members raised objections.

If this is true, Word's former boss has a problem.

[cpwill]

The law is pretty clear on this, your employer has the right to require your uniform (which can be a three piece suit or a set of coveralls) conform with the public image the employer wants to project as long as it is not personally degrading to the employee. So as much as it seems to be about the Ten Commandments its really about employers rights.

the problem becomes, then, that the law is selectively enforced as regards religious symbols.

[Albert]

the problem becomes, then, that the law is selectively enforced as regards religious symbols.
I agree completely with you on principles however as we all know the law in regards to rights does not always support each of our individual principles. I believe many of us tend to overlook the basic concept of “harm” in the law. To restrict someone’s personal liberties one must show how the expression of those liberties harms others. So if an employer required employees to wear “Satan Rocks” pins and a Christian said it harmed them I would hope the law would protect the individual from the harm of doing something so opposed to their belief. In this case the employer felt, justly or unjustly, that the displaying of the pin harmed his desire to maintain neutrality in the matter of the Ten Commandments controversy.

[ranger]

So if an employer required employees to wear ?Satan Rocks? pins and a Christian said it harmed them I would hope the law would protect the individual from the harm of doing something so opposed to their belief. The law does exactly that. The law says you can quit if you don't want to wear the "uniform" required for the job. A bar called Dante's Inferno required the wait staff to wear devil horns. It was a condition of employment.

[marv]

What were the terms and conditions at the time of Word's employment? There may be more to the story than we know. Was the wearing of a religious lapel pin forbidden or considered a political statement? What has changed?

I tried to point out in another thread, a poll about homosexuality, pedophelia, etc., that sometimes we set things in motion things that could or might have unexpected consequences. Sometime they get to the point of being ridiculous. For example:

smoking is bad > separate smoking areas > smoke free buildings > smoke free cities > posession of an ashtray is a crime! NYC is actually attempting this last step.

The real crime in the Word matter is excessive political correctness. I come down on the side of Word, Judge Moore and anyone else wanting to display the Ten Commandments, even as just a symbol like the lapel pin. When will all this silliness stop? After it's too late and we can only say, "Oops! We made a mistake."?

[Redheat]

Isn't it ironic that Employeers are free to FIRE or suspend, or even demand clothing restirctions for EVERYONE else but the Religious Right?

When Michael Moores movie wasn't distributed by Disney all the Conservative/Right claimed they had EVERY RIGHT. Now it seems if a company asks someone not to where a particular piece of jewelry being it could be conterverisal, then they are WRONG.

I sure wish there was a book on these standards so I could keep up, with them changing with who ever is involved it gets a bit confusing.

[marv]

Redheat,

The political correctness' "fence" is moving ever closer to an "anything goes" society. If society bends over backwards too far, it'll fall.

[DeathMonkey]

In this instance, it sounds like the pin itself is the tip of the iceberg. If one is adamant enough to lose ones job over a freaking pin, one probably can assume that 1) Word WAS acting politically, indeed, probably chose the firing to garner attention for the issue, and to raise support for the Judge as well, and 2) that his work behaviour suffered because of his expressions of faith, i.e. prostelitizing on the job.


As someone who works with kids, I have to keep my tattoos covered, my eyebrow peircings covered, I can't wear certain t-shirts even if they dont have swears on them (like my Bleeding Through band t), yet my fellow employees are free to wear cross pendants and t- shirts with religious messages (our current crop of employees go to Baptist or Church of Christ colleges) . Indeed, if I wore a t-shirt that said "atheist" they would send me home. But, as I love my job, I suck it up and dress appropriately, and I dont mention my religious stance at all.
So, does that fall under the same catagory? Do I have a leg to stand on to sue my work for oppressing my atheism? Personally, I don't think so. Indeed, if a parent expressed concern that I was "preaching atheism", I would be out on my butt.

[Redheat]

As someone who works with kids, I have to keep my tattoos covered, my eyebrow peircings covered, I can't wear certain t-shirts even if they dont have swears on them (like my Bleeding Through band t), yet my fellow employees are free to wear cross pendants and t- shirts with religious messages (our current crop of employees go to Baptist or Church of Christ colleges) . Indeed, if I wore a t-shirt that said "atheist" they would send me home. But, as I love my job, I suck it up and dress appropriately, and I dont mention my religious stance at all.
So, does that fall under the same catagory? Do I have a leg to stand on to sue my work for oppressing my atheism? Personally, I don't think so. Indeed, if a parent expressed concern that I was "preaching atheism", I would be out on my butt.

I hear ya!

I have to take out my nose ring every day even though it's so small it's not always noticable. When I interviewed for this job I had to take it out because I would not have gotten it not because I wasn't qualified but because of a piece of jewelry that I've over 15 years. Does my employeer have a right to tell me not to where it? Yes. Is it fair that as DeathMonkey said that people are free to wear crosses and such, No. However I wouldn't make a court case about it because I have a choice.

As does the person with the pin, either go by the rules or look for a job that will allow you to wear the pin. Life isn't fair.

[Ronnieraygun]

Isn't it ironic that Employeers are free to FIRE or suspend, or even demand clothing restirctions for EVERYONE else but the Religious Right?



I don't know that this is true. I haven't seen anyone getting fired because they're wearing a rainbow lapel pin. Even in the more casual jobs, you see alot of offensive slogans on T-shirts.

Unlike people who make a big deal out of this, I prefer to keep my mouth shut and let them wear what they choose, even if I don't happen to like it. They didn't wear what they're wearing for me anyway. And I don't choose anyone elses clothes, or dictate taste to anyone.(excpet for my son)

This is how it should be.

[Captain America]

Isn't it ironic that Employeers are free to FIRE or suspend, or even demand clothing restirctions for EVERYONE else but the Religious Right?

I am curious to know what position the religious right took on that little girl who was kicked out of school for wearing the Islamic headscarf?

[Fasdf]

I am curious to know what position the religious right took on that little girl who was kicked out of school for wearing the Islamic headscarf?
She was clearly a supporter of terrorism and by kicking her out they have saved your life somehow.

[cpwill]

:rolleyes:

personally, i think it was a pointless and stupid decision; the kind of decision that should only happen in france.

[ranger]

Many companies have a rule against wearing the "precious feet" lapel pin. That is the pin that has two feet the size of the feet of an unborn baby at some early age. I support the company's right to ban those pins. I also support the local campground that had a woman arrested for trespass because she would not leave and would not take off or cover her t-shirt that said "I am the Queen of F---".

Both requests seem reasonable to this right wing Christian.