Observant Jew Cannot Work Saturday Shifts

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!

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Agree with above ^^^ but many places still consider Sat night and Sun night the weekend requirement. Therefore, a reasonable option is to find a place that does that and is willing to work with you rather than a place that has Fri night and Sat night requirement, neither of which you can fulfill. Also there are a few months in the Winter where Sabbath ends early enough to work Saturday night, so that is also an option, but doesn't work for most of the year.

If they do accommodate you, you can bet it will be at the expense of other staff nurses and that simply is not right. Why should your beliefs impede on someone else's work schedule?

I wouidn't mind working every Saturday so I could have Sunday's off to watch football. Unfortunatly, my unit isn't going for it.

How's that for a solution? :up:

Just kidding... But, only sorta.

Specializes in Cardicac Neuro Telemetry.
I agree that this nurse can't meet the unit's staffing needs and should move on, BUT I don't agree that said nurse should abandon nursing entirely just because s/he has some scheduling limitations.

If someone could NOT PERFORM the basic responsibilities of a nurse, then they should not enter the profession. But, there are hospital jobs available that accommodate religious peoples' scheduling preferences, usually by just having them work the other weekend day (i.e. not their Sabbath).

Also, besides floor nursing, there are nursing jobs in clinics/outpatient, school nursing, prn, and some specialties that are more flexible for these people. And, many of these folks are excellent nurses! Do we really have to kick them out of the profession over a scheduling hang-up?

It seems obvious that I am referring to acute care nursing in a hospital setting? Obviously school nurses do not work on Saturdays so why is it even relevant to mention this along with other specialties? I am certainly not suggesting "kicking people out" of the nursing profession but by golly, if one wants to work in a hospital (or any other facility that requires 24/7 staffing), it might not be a good career choice if one has "scheduling hang ups".

It seems obvious that I am referring to acute care nursing in a hospital setting? Obviously school nurses do not work on Saturdays so why is it even relevant to mention this along with other specialties? I am certainly not suggesting "kicking people out" of the nursing profession but by golly, if one wants to work in a hospital (or any other facility that requires 24/7 staffing), it might not be a good career choice if one has "scheduling hang ups".

True. I agree that acute care might not be the best option for these folks. But, this is how I read your post:

It is beyond my understanding why people choose to go into nursing if working holidays, nights, weekends, *insert whatever occasion here* is such an issue..

Sorry for misunderstanding you. :down: Thanks for clarifying!

Specializes in Cardicac Neuro Telemetry.

I guess since all I've done is acute care, that's where my mind goes. I'll be more clear next time.

Good Lord, if you will pardon the pun, there is nothing more divisive than asking for any special weekend privileges in nursing.

There certainly are jobs that can accommodate this without inconveniencing others.

Dear Nurse Beth:

I feel that you dropped the ball on this one. According to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Any employer who has more than 50 employees must make every possible effort to accommodate that employees religious beliefs. The prospective employee who is an observant Jew could also make the accommodation to work every Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so long as she gets her religiious holidays (Rosh Hashonnah & Yom Kippur) as well. It is up to the employer if they want to hire this prospective employee, but to refuse to hire her because of her religious restrictions, would be a violation of the law and also discriminatory in nature.

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.
Dear Nurse Beth:

I feel that you dropped the ball on this one. According to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Any employer who has more than 50 employees must make every possible effort to accommodate that employees religious beliefs. The prospective employee who is an observant Jew could also make the accommodation to work every Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so long as she gets her religiious holidays (Rosh Hashonnah & Yom Kippur) as well. It is up to the employer if they want to hire this prospective employee, but to refuse to hire her because of her religious restrictions, would be a violation of the law and also discriminatory in nature.

I understand, and no hospital would give that as a reason for not hiring.

The law also says an employer must accommodate religious beliefs within reason and if does not cause the business unnecessary hardship.

Specializes in retired LTC.

Unless someone else has said this ... I wonder what would happen to employees who seek Saturdays off and then they need to stay over from their Friday into Saturday because of some unforeseen/unexpected absence of the next employee. Like in all this crazy bad winter snow/rain/hurricane?

All kinds of attempting to get someone else to cover failed.

I doubt they would run out of the facility protesting, or would they? I just wonder.

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

So if observant Jews cannot work the Sabbath, who staffs the hospitals during Sabbath in Israel?

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