DLR employee sent home for wearing muslim head covering

[hobie16]

As far as I know, Wiccan, Frisbeetarians, and Pastafarians are not REQUIRED by their religions (and in the last two cases, they are mock-religions) to wear any particular symbols or piece of clothing. That is the problem point here: According to her religious beliefs, she has to wear that.

Okay. Was she told in either the hiring process or job orientation that she would be required to dress in a specific way without any additional clothing or ornamentation? If not, why not?

How long was she employed in a costumed position before she got religion?

Why, if her management is trying to work out an accommodation so she can wear a piece of clothing to comply with religious dictates, would she show up at work with a bunch of non-employees to embarrass the employer? That, to me, is grounds for immediate suspension and probable termination.

Oh yeah, Frisbeetarians are required to have a Frisbee in hand at all times. You never know when a game of ultimate might pop up.

[lady ulrike]

Morbid curiosity... What is the policy concerning cross necklaces? If I remember correctly it could be worn if not visible outside the costume?

In attractions, no necklaces are allowed at all. It's a safety concern.

Okay. Was she told in either the hiring process or job orientation that she would be required to dress in a specific way without any additional clothing or ornamentation? If not, why not?

Yes, she was, we all are before we even get orientation. There's a huge packet to go through and sign a bunch of crap and one of those things is the Disney Look. IIRC, Disney Look is also discussed in orientation (or whatever they're calling it nowadays)

[Zazu]

Like when they made Zazu a foufer?

That was "poofer" as in "poof up the dress".

Not to be confused with using leaf blowers on kilts.

[Kifaru]

What if they are Wiccan? Can they wear Witch's Hats? :twisted:
Now you see where demanding to wear religious garb at work can take you.

Wicca doesn't have any required garb or ornamentation, and even voluntarily, pointy hats are far from being common. A Wiccan is far more likely to be skyclad during rituals than to wear a Halloween costume.

[kurtisnelson]

Yes, she was, we all are before we even get orientation. There's a huge packet to go through and sign a bunch of crap and one of those things is the Disney Look. IIRC, Disney Look is also discussed in orientation (or whatever they're calling it nowadays)

Having done that pile of paperwork as recently as yesterday, yeah, its covered multiple times before traditions.

[drcorey]

Wicca doesn't have any required garb or ornamentation, and even voluntarily, pointy hats are far from being common. A Wiccan is far more likely to be skyclad during rituals than to wear a Halloween costume.

yeah, but can you board your familar in the kennel?

[DisneyMom]

hehe, I know nothing about being Wiccan, but just pointing out that you can say anything is part of your religion.

I once had a patient's family refuse to learn how to give their Mother a required shot in the home,said it was against their religion to make their mother bleed. My medical social worker co-workers of the same religion had never heard of such a thing.

All Mothers who have stepped through a kid's room full of Legos barefoot have bled

[aixia]

As a quick clarification, female Muslims are not required to wear a headscarf. It is a personal decision based upon interpretation of the Koran. From my understanding, this particular woman has been Muslim for quite some time, if not her whole life, but only made the choice to wear the hijab recently.

My personal feeling on this is that Disney made the right move by offering her an offstage position, and that she has been encouraged by someone else to not let the matter drop. There's no way she can win this, I don't really understand why she would think she could. If you're in an onstage position, you have to wear a specific costume, period. The entire point of the costume is that there is no variance. She's in the wrong here, I think she even knows she's in the wrong here, but someone's been giving her very bad advice.

[Fitswimmer]

There was a similar case against Target. Muslim employees claimed discrimination because the store sold pork products and as cashiers they were forced to handle them. Target offered the employees transfers to another department to avoid the problem, but the employees refused and went public with the "Target hates Muslims" thing.

You don't get to claim discrimination when you've been offered a reasonable alternative and refused it.

[siskaren]

There was a similar case against Target. Muslim employees claimed discrimination because the store sold pork products and as cashiers they were forced to handle them. Target offered the employees transfers to another department to avoid the problem, but the employees refused and went public with the "Target hates Muslims" thing.

You don't get to claim discrimination when you've been offered a reasonable alternative and refused it.

Not to mention the fact that, as cashiers, it should've occurred to them that some customers might be purchasing pork products, so it's not like this should be coming as a surprise to them.