Pagan Xmas ham and a bottle of Scotch please!

[Gob]

Marks & Spencer has told Muslim staff they can refuse to serve shoppers buying alcohol or pork, it has been revealed.

The chain has granted checkout workers in more than 700 stores permission to politely decline to serve customers for religious reasons.

Instead, shoppers are being asked to wait to pay for certain items at a different till.

The policy highlights a divide among the mainstream food retailers over whether religious staff should be excused from certain tasks.

In contrast to M&S, Sainsbury's has told Muslim staff that there is no reason why they cannot handle goods such as alcohol and pork - even if they are not allowed to eat or drink the products.

A spokesman said the retailer's official guidelines - which see everyone treated 'fairly' - were written following consultations with religious groups, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

However, Morrisons - which is based in Bradford, where there is a large Muslim population - said it had a long-standing commitment to 'respecting and working around' workers' wishes not to handle certain products for religious or cultural reasons.

Meanwhile, Asda bosses have chosen not to allow Muslims who object to handling alcohol to serve customers on checkouts.

And Tesco agreed it 'would make no sense' to employ staff on a till who refused to touch specific items - but said it treats each case individually, with no specific policy in place.

Last week, shoppers buying alcoholic drinks for Christmas at a M&S store in central London were asked by a Muslim checkout worker to wait to be served by another member of staff.

[Scooter]

So does someone have a right to get a job at a liquor store and get paid to stand around with their thumb up their ass all day because they can't touch any of the merchandise?

[Gob]

In the UK, you have to ask?

[Scooter]

It isn't just in the UK, in the U.S. and Canada there are those who work at city hall who claim the right to refuse to perform marriages which they claim offend their religious sensibilities - all part of the same nonsense.,

[oldr_n_wsr]

Guess they will have to start putting up signs above the checkout lines on which items that cashier will handle.

[rubato]

Certain jobs require that certain functions be performed. You cannot be a police officer if you refuse to use force. You cannot be a firefighter if you refuse to put out fires. If you work in a slaughterhouse you have to be ok with killing animals. If you are a surgeon you cannot be a Christian Scientist. If you work in a bar you have to be willing to sell booze.

IIR there is no religious prohibition to raising and selling pigs for practicing Jews. There was even a Kibbutz which specialized in raising pork to sell to goyim in Israel.

yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

It isn't just in the UK, in the U.S. and Canada there are those who work at city hall who claim the right to refuse to perform marriages which they claim offend their religious sensibilities - all part of the same nonsense.,

Performing a marriage at city hall being a civil proceeding as opposed to a religious ceremony.


yrs,
rubato

[Big RR]

This is a business which has made a decision to allow certain of their employees to refuse to handle certain products; it is not the result of a law or government regulation. I can't see what the problem is; if a business wants to hire someone to "get paid to stand around with their thumb up their ass all day because they can't touch any of the merchandise", that's their right. It doesn't bother me, although I may well leave if I have to wait in two lines to pay for my purchases, and if enough people do that I'd bet the policy changes.

Complaining about a policy like this is the flip side of people complaining that some businesses tell their employees to say "Happy Holidays" and not "Merry Christmas". Again, so long as the business makes the decision, I just don't see a problem.

[Econoline]

Actually, the alcohol part is sort of like what happens--at least here in Illinois--in a grocery store when you take a six-pack of beer to a cashier who happens to be under the age of 21. They* He or she can't legally ring up the sale (even if that only involves picking up the item and passing the bar code over a scanner) so they* he or she have* has to call over another, older employee in order to handle just that one item.



* Satisfied, Joe? OK, Meade?

[Sue U]

Ridiculous, all around.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Actually, the alcohol part is sort of like what happens--at least here in Illinois--in a grocery store when you take a six-pack of beer to a cashier who happens to be under the age of 21. An underage person cannot legally ring up the sale (even if that only involves picking up the item and passing the bar code over a scanner) so has to call over another, older employee in order to handle just that one item.

OK now! What say you Joe (as if anyone cares)?
Meade

[TPFKA@W]

Many (maybe most) Hindus don't eat cow, but apparently they can flip burgers and serve them. (Probably some Hindus not all.) I work closely with a vegan Hindu and when my car was in the shop she got me chili from Wendy's for lunch. (How now ground cow). Hindus could teach classes on religious tolerance.

[Joe Guy]

They* He or she can't legally ring up the sale (even if that only involves picking up the item and passing the bar code over a scanner) so they* he or she have* has to call over another, older employee in order to handle just that one item.

* Satisfied, Joe? OK, Meade?

I don't think you needed a comma after 'older' and 'just' is a wasted word but the 'he or she' stuff is great...

[Jarlaxle]

When I worked at a pizzeria, one employee was a devout Jew...he would not handle anything with pork in it (including a box) without gloves. He had no problem selling or even MAKING it, he just would not touch it without gloves.

And I still owe him for showing me where I could get Kosher (beef & turkey) pepperoni. That stuff is GREAT!