How do you deal, day by day with religious nuts at work?
I work in a small office. The topic of religion doesn't come up often but when it does, it's clear that my co-workers are people of faith. I deal with it by refraining from joining the conversation. When asked, I say that I am not comfortable talking about something so personal at work. That usually ends it and it never comes back up.
I don’t discuss religion at work and I expect nobody else to. The patients have requests.. depending what it is, I’ll excuse myself or stay quiet and not participate. I’ve gone to HR before when another RN was playing terrible gospel music and singing along on a Sunday and wouldn’t quit even though I asked her to( she was my subordinate).
I lost a job once for standing up to a director of nursing who objected to a Brighid’s Cross I was wearing(pagan at the time). When I told her I’d remove it if she and her assistant removed THEIR cross jewelry plus the praying hands paperweight, bibles, and xtian posters: they were outraged. I got fired.
I tried always to ignore or remain neutral at work.
Unfortunately in NC is very conservative and I have been fired from my job before. Even worst in NC can't run for public office.
@Edd1500 I’m in Texas, trust me I understand.
Speak to them privately, ask them to keep it out of the workplace...if no response, go to HR...proper wording: it is creating a distraction aeffecting your productivity, (and no employer wants that)!
Over all I ignore it. I'm there to work, not socialize. I don't give a flying fig what someone in the next cubical might believe. Now if they harp on me about it then they might get a bit of a surprise push back but not my home, not my head, not my business. To each their own.
Politely let them know that I am not interested in discussing their personal beliefs in the work environment. If they persist, escalate to human resources.
Yeah, I agree, but HR does nothing, and they keep on and on.
In that case, you need to speak with an attorney. You may have a legitimate harassment case here, and if your employer is failing to address the issue then they may be in serious trouble and you may be entitled to financial compensation for your trouble.
Document every incident in writing with dates and times. If possible, make sure witnesses are present who can testify in a court of law as to the nature of the harassment which you are being exposed to when youbare interacting with this individual. State verbally and in writing to your HR department that you do not feel safe in your work environment because you are being harassed by a fellow co-worker. Do not make threats of any kind, be they physical threats or threats of legal action. Let your attorney handle the legalities.
If you cannot afford an attorney, s speak with the ACLU. Thry may be able to assist you in finding an attorney who will take the case pro bono.
Any religious nuts in UK healthcare would quickly find themselves out of a job. At the university where I have substantive role as a lecturer, you would be hard pushed to find one single religious person.
Unfortunately where I live, Southern U.S. it is an everyday thing, they always talking about thier "Lord" and you can't even hold public office if you are an Atheist. At work they look at you as an extrange.