Religious accommodation means no Saturdays....ever?

[momto6msn]

Hey all - I'm looking for input on the following situation:

a co-worker has been granted a religious accommodation to never work a Saturday (hospital ICU, where everyone is scheduled every other weekend). She does not have to work every Sunday, and they have not filled the hole her not working as created. As you can imagine, our Saturdays are horrible. I have gone to our union - NYSNA - but they are not willing to do anything.

She is also scheduled 8 hours less every two weeks than the rest of us, yet still maintains full-time benefits even though she is actually working what is considered part-time.

I'm becoming extremely resentful......am I valid feeling this way, or should I just mind my own business?

[Purple_roses]

Personally, if management would say "You must work every other Saturday" I'd quit on the spot. Its not about perks/privilege or anything like that; its just simply my lifestyle. Other people might try to sue for religious discrimination (and I know that employers are scared of that.

Its a tough call. I have a cousin who went through hell on a unit- was literally persecuted by management and other staff all because she was strong with her religious conviction. I think a lot of it has to do with personality- my coworkers liked the way I worked, liked my attitude, and most importantly they understood that I wasn't just after my own self interests.

I think the segment I bolded shows a lot about your character. While I do think you were correct in being upfront about your religious needs, and while I do believe management was correct in accommodating your religious needs, I believe quitting on the spot is an absolutely horrible thing to do to your patients and coworkers. I can't imagine God would prefer for you to leave your floor with questionable staffing, jeapordizing patient safety, in the name of honoring a religious tradition. Additionally, it IS perk and a privilege. Just because you think your request is in the name of honoring God does not mean that it isn't a religious privilege.

If management needed you to work one Saturday randomly, it's probably because the floor is short staffed and you are a needed professional. By not even giving a two weeks notice, you're leaving your team to flounder until a replacement is found.

I believe that would be a very selfish decision. You chose the nursing profession, and what's more, you chose to work in a facility that operates around 24/7 care. Everyone has to be flexible to work in a hospital. If you can't be flexible, there are plenty of 9-5 nursing positions out there.

As a side note, if management agreed to give you Saturdays off and then continually tried pressuring you into working every single saturday, that's a different story. (Though you should still give a 2-weeks for the sake of your team). Management should try their very best to honor your request if they agreed to it. But as a nurse you absolutely must be prepared for the inevitable every once in a while, and if you're not prepared to be flexible once in a blue moon, you are not being a team player.

[SmilingBluEyes]

People have a right to their beliefs, absolutely. I would never argue that. But maybe they ought to choose not to work in a place where a 24/7 commitment to work is at odds with them. JMO. There ARE nursing jobs that do NOT require weekend work. Why not go there?

And yes, I agree that management is at fault. The staffing situation should not be a mess due to ONE nurse not meeting the commitment EVERYONE else has to meet to work every other Saturday. They hired her; they are at fault. They have opened a Pandora's box now, especially if this is a community with a large population of folks with similar beliefs and religious convictions.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

The nurse did not walk in to the job and simply get an accomadation. It's a legal term. It involves ADA rules and legal manuevring. There is a legal reason that she can't work Saturdays. I wonder how you people have all this time to pin all your anger on this one nurse?

The nurse may have told you it's a religious accomadation or are you guessing? There's more here than meets the eye. You people should get on with your lives and stop focusing on this one person. Oh, I know...you don't acutally say anything to this nurse, but your body language comes across loud and clear.

If you and your posse want to get serious; you could legally challenge your place of work under the arugement that because this one nurse, got this one accomadation, it has put an undue strain on the business. Can you prove that it's putting an undue hardship on the floor?

Think...what was your work unit like prior to this person coming? Were there constant arguements over days off? Was morale high or low? Was your floor a well oiled machine and now this? Who has been damaged and what kind of damages are resulting from this one accomadation?

I didn't read all the responses. If you have answered things I've touched on, excuse. If your union, talk to your rep. Has anyone approached the nurse manager and presented your concerns? Communicaition is the road to understanding. (I said that). :)

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

You and the rest of your colleagues have rights as well. Too often people don't seek the legal option. It's a far better choice than suffering in silence. Research this stuff online under ADA religious accomadations and the workplace. I think you would be surprised at the rights you have as well.

[SmilingBluEyes]

OP where are you?

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

I guess if employers are willing to accommodate Jewish people by giving them Saturdays off, then they must allow all Christians off Sundays. The problem is that when one gets into a 24/7/365 job, the expectation is that one must be willing to work weekends, holidays, etc. People don't stop needing healthcare on Saturdays.

Similarly, a Jehovah witness must be willing to administer blood transfusions....it comes with the territory.

Your religious freedom ends when it encroaches on others. And in the OP's case, it does. An employer could be accused of religious discrimination and favoritism which breaks federal law.

If the nurse can't work Saturdays, she should find a job where working Saturdays aren't required.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I agree with your entire post but the bolded part is important.

This one nurse is not responsible for all the short-staffing that occurs on that unit.

Spidey that's what I was implying, just in more of a sarcastic way. Because the issues the OP spoke of are not caused from this one nurse, it's caused from poor administration and management.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

OP where are you?

Probably at brunch with her best friend who is telling her all about the most unfortunate and sad incident that happened with their other friend that wears a headdress and was fired. They are waiting on Kathy who is still upset Jon was high and got away with it. But that's none of my business.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Probably at brunch with her best friend who is telling her all about the most unfortunate and sad incident that happened with their other friend that wears a headdress and was fired. They are waiting on Kathy who is still upset Jon was high and got away with it. But that's none of my business.

Hilarious. You win the internet today.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Everyone disagreeing with me on the thread gave me a lot to think about. I thank you all. I wish the OP would return however.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I guess if employers are willing to accommodate Jewish people by giving them Saturdays off, then they must allow all Christians off Sundays. The problem is that when one gets into a 24/7/365 job, the expectation is that one must be willing to work weekends, holidays, etc. People don't stop needing healthcare on Saturdays.

Similarly, a Jehovah witness must be willing to administer blood transfusions....it comes with the territory.

Your religious freedom ends when it encroaches on others. And in the OP's case, it does. An employer could be accused of religious discrimination and favoritism which breaks federal law.

If the nurse can't work Saturdays, she should find a job where working Saturdays aren't required.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! agree 100%. You said it far better than I ever did on this thread.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

Just to point out , we don't know it is a Jew. It could be a Christian interpretation of holy days.

The bottom line is MANAGEMENT allowed for this situation.

One person being gone on any day that could cause such havoc is a bigger issue than one incident of accommodation in my looking at it.