Muslim Checkout Staff Get An Alcohol Opt-out Clause

[Soilwork]

I'd just go to another store and give them my money.

 

[secondmonkey]

Ugh. Religion is so stupid. All of them.

If I was their boss I'd kindly remind them not to let the door hit them in the ass on the way out.

 

[looseliam]

Regardless of religion, if this was not discussed in their contract, I'd sack them.

Not for exercising religious beliefs, but for not doing the job required.

And if this was such an issue, I would think it would come up prior to employment.

 

[backpacker]

Part of me says that if you're not willing to do the entire job, you shouldn't accept it. I also think it's nice when companies are compassionate to their workers, so I guess the policy is OK. I do think that those employees advancement opportunities will suffer.

 

[Endlight]

Gee, I dunno guys, maybe we should not let extreme-right Christians handle condoms in drug stores ?

Where I live we have all kinds of stupid requests, including females asking to keep the veil when they vote, take their license picture etc.

Hopefully, they will keep their veil when boarding a plane to return home.

Meh, and they say women are treated as second class individuals in certain countries. maybe because they act like third class people?

 

[Spellbound]

If they don't want to do their jobs, they should find a different one.

 

[philford]

I work for sainsbury's and I think this is ridiculous! I know a muslim who works on the deli for crying out loud!

As said they are not handling the alcohol, they are handling the containers, it may be their religion not to consume alcohol, but they shouldn't judge others who want to consume alcohol.

I think they should not work on a checkout - I love the way the article says they "quickly swap with a neighbouring colleague" or "put their hand up for a supervisor" working in a busy store this would just not happen, for once we are breaking code for swapping with a neighbouring colleague as this is not giving their customer full attention, and when its busy putting your hand up for a supervisor can often be a lenghty wait - being one of those supervisors I know we can only deal with one customer at a time, giving them our full attention. Making people wait while someone comes to put the items through is just not good customer service!

Grrrr, Rant over!!

 

[drhladnjak]

I remember a story here about certain pharmacists who refused to sell certain prescriptions because they said it violated their religion, despite the drugs being legal and prescribed by legitimate doctors. I forget which drugs they were, but possibly a morning after birth control pill. Of course some could say that all birth control pills should be banned, if the pope says not to use birth control.

There was a big flap about this in Washington state recently actually. The pharmacy board was considering allowing pharmacists to not fill prescriptions they found to be morally objectionable. Mainly this was the morning after pill, although there was also talk of all birth control and sexually enhancing drugs like Viagra for unmarried men.

In the end, these exemptions weren't allowed, mainly on the grounds that customers should be able to walk into any pharmacy to get any legal drug legally prescribed by a doctor. A woman shouldn't have to wander from pharmacy to pharmacy searching for one that sells the morning after pill, especially in rural areas where there aren't many choices in pharmacies.

This situation is a bit different though.

 

[greaves]

And this is a report from today's London "Sunday Times" about some UK Muslim medical students:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2603966.ece

The phrase: "Physician, Heal Thyself." springs to mind.

Any thoughts?