MUSLIM OPPRESSION IN USA

[Choir Loft]

Here we are in the ethics and morality department with a question of legality as well as right and wrong.

A friend of mine is a nurse. She's been practicing medicine for a while and got a job in a doctor's office. Turns out the physician is a Muslim. A Muslim with an attitude.

Ramadan is a month long period of fasting, which is observed as one of the pillars of Islam. For 2013, Ramadan ended on August 7th - so I suppose what I'm about to relate is old news. Muslims believe that one ought not eat or drink during the daylight hours of Ramadan.

My nurse friend is not Muslim, yet as an employee during Ramadan she was not permitted a lunch break, to eat anything or to even drink water during her hours of employment.

We live in Florida, which is a right to work state. That doesn't mean anybody has a right to work as much as it means any employer can fire someone for any reason at any time - including eating lunch during Ramadan.

So here's my question to you. Does this woman have a legal leg to stand on? Does she have any recourse to grievance before the law or does she just take a bite out of an apple at high noon and get fired?

[Pazuzu bin Hanbi]

Had it been Britain I would have said she could sue his bigoted arse off… but I’m not sure of the legalities in the States.

It does beggar belief though. What a flaming idiot!

[Ooberman]

Here we are in the ethics and morality department with a question of legality as well as right and wrong.

A friend of mine is a nurse. She's been practicing medicine for a while and got a job in a doctor's office. Turns out the physician is a Muslim. A Muslim with an attitude.

Ramadan is a month long period of fasting, which is observed as one of the pillars of Islam. For 2013, Ramadan ended on August 7th - so I suppose what I'm about to relate is old news. Muslims believe that one ought not eat or drink during the daylight hours of Ramadan.

My nurse friend is not Muslim, yet as an employee during Ramadan she was not permitted a lunch break, to eat anything or to even drink water during her hours of employment.

We live in Florida, which is a right to work state. That doesn't mean anybody has a right to work as much as it means any employer can fire someone for any reason at any time - including eating lunch during Ramadan.

So here's my question to you. Does this woman have a legal leg to stand on? Does she have any recourse to grievance before the law or does she just take a bite out of an apple at high noon and get fired?

Interesting that Florida has those laws.


Which are more important in your mind? The right for the employer to fire at will, or the protection of the employees religious beliefs?

Personally, I'd like to see all religious beliefs laughed off the planet. This wouldn't be an issue.

But, theists want to practice their funny little religions and tell other people how to act...

[olavisjo]

.

Interesting that Florida has those laws.

About half the states do, but employers still can't discriminate. Discrimination is more or less defined as taking an adverse action against an employee based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or handicap status.

[Darias]

[Replying to post 1 by Choir Loft]

Everyone should enjoy the freedom to fire their employees for any reason they see fit. It's special pleading for someone to argue that you should be able to fire Muslims, but for Muslims to be forced to pay for workers who don't agree to their rules in their own businesses. If you start smoking pot in my house, I have the right to show you the door. If you start worshiping Jesus in a Muslim's home, then they also have the right to kick you out.

[janavoss]

[Replying to Choir Loft]

Does your friend have a legal leg to stand on? Maybe.
Federal labors laws do not require employers to offer lunch breaks, or any kinds of breaks really; they leave that stuff up to the states. Many states have laws that require breaks or rest periods for shifts of a certain amount of time. Unfortunately Florida is not one of those states.
However, Federal law does include some requirements IF employers do choose to offer breaks or meal periods. If the doctor your friend works for normally allows employees a lunch period, and only takes that privilege away during Ramadan, then I think your friend could make a case for religious discrimination.
But to be honest, if your friend is bothered enough by this, I think it's probably just better to start looking for a new job.

As far as the "right and wrong" issues with this, I don't think employers should force any religious practices on employees, unless religion is part of the job, and/or those expectations are clearly presented before accepting the job.

[Ooberman]

.

Interesting that Florida has those laws.

About half the states do, but employers still can't discriminate. Discrimination is more or less defined as taking an adverse action against an employee based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or handicap status.

So it appears Choir Loft is a knee jerk Christian, perhaps, that is factually wrong about matter when he says:

"My nurse friend is not Muslim, yet as an employee during Ramadan she was not permitted a lunch break, to eat anything or to even drink water during her hours of employment.

We live in Florida, which is a right to work state. That doesn't mean anybody has a right to work as much as it means any employer can fire someone for any reason at any time - including eating lunch during Ramadan. "

So, it appears one can eat during Ramadan if they wish, even at a Muslim workplace. Legally.


However, perhaps her friend would want to join the One True Religion of Islam and save herself from the fires of Hell?

[Choir Loft]

.

Interesting that Florida has those laws.

About half the states do, but employers still can't discriminate. Discrimination is more or less defined as taking an adverse action against an employee based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or handicap status.

So it appears Choir Loft is a knee jerk Christian, perhaps, that is factually wrong about matter when he says:

"My nurse friend is not Muslim, yet as an employee during Ramadan she was not permitted a lunch break, to eat anything or to even drink water during her hours of employment.

We live in Florida, which is a right to work state. That doesn't mean anybody has a right to work as much as it means any employer can fire someone for any reason at any time - including eating lunch during Ramadan. "

So, it appears one can eat during Ramadan if they wish, even at a Muslim workplace. Legally.


However, perhaps her friend would want to join the One True Religion of Islam and save herself from the fires of Hell?

The issue is a question of the law, which few have addressed. Mostly we've got people who assume that it's wrong to be a Christian and want to eat lunch.

This is a question of law. In Florida the law states that an employer must give a ten minute break every two hours and at least a 30 minute break for lunch. The employer does not have to pay the employee lunch break time.

For all those who think it's wrong for a Christian to eat lunch, let me ask how many times you've been denied the opportunity to take a break and to eat lunch during work hours? Did you do it? Did you enjoy it?

Knee jerk Christian? I'm a Christian first last and always, but the issue here isn't one's reactions to another religion, it's the violation of the law - which seems to be ok as long as it's a Christian that's being violated. What if it were YOU? What if it were a Muslim? Different story and different reaction I would think.

Try to put your religious bias to one side for a moment and address the issue on legal basis and the basis of fairness, which is why I posed the question in the first place.

Bear in mind that under Sharia law everyone who denies God deserves to be beheaded. We aren't going that far here, just asking for the right to eat a sandwich at noon. Why is that so difficult to grasp?

The subject of unfair treatment of employees is personal to me. I have an acquaintance who was hired to work at a hospital from 8 to 5. She agreed to work the hours and during the interview brought up the fact that she needed to take her son to Soccer practice and needed to leave work at five o'clock. It was mutually agreed that the hours were ok and she was hired. Less than two months later she told me she was fired because she "kept leaving at five o'clock".

The issue again is violation of law and right vs. wrong.

and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

[otseng]

So it appears Choir Loft is a knee jerk Christian, perhaps, that is factually wrong about matter when he says:

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[OnceConvinced]

If this was in New Zealand the employee would definitely be able to log a grievance against the employer.