Our office received an unsettling phone call from a lady who works for a very large health care provider.In that company, she had an administrative role, and her supervisors were requiring her to attend a startling ceremony.
In this ceremony, alcoholic libations were presented, and then the names of the employees’ ancestors were spoken aloud. The employees were asked to participate in chants to call the spirits of these dead ancestors into the room.
Obviously, this Christian lady felt extremely uncomfortable in this environment. She felt that her boss was requiring her to participate in the doctrine of devils, but she wasn’t sure exactly what she could and could not do in response.
In another situation, a man worked at a large business, and it was his custom to say things like, “God bless you” and “You know Jesus loves you” during the course of his daily work. Apparently, some of his co-workers found this speech to be very offensive, and they took their complaints to the human resources department.
This man was soon approached by a supervisor who told him that he needed to discontinue any kind of religious speech, or he could lose his job. Knowing everything that his co-workers talked about at his workplace, he was surprised to be singled out with such a restriction.
In the Southeast, a restaurant expanded its hours to open for Sunday brunch, and the employer told the employees that no one could attend church anymore, at least not if they wanted to keep their jobs. One of the employees had gone to church faithfully for her entire life, and it didn’t seem right to her that her boss could make this kind of a rule.
While each one of these situations is completely different, all involve the matter of religious liberty in the workplace—which is complex. It is impossible to give one answer that applies to every situation. Nonetheless, the Christian Law Association is committed to doing all we can to support God’s people in the workplace.
If you find yourself in a situation at work where you suspect your religious liberties are being violated, please contact our office. Our experienced attorneys know the details of the law, and they will be happy to advise you about how to proceed in your particular situation.