Employment Lawyers

[xobklynqt143]

does any one know any emplyment lawyers? heres the deal(no offence to anyone if i do end up offending someone)

my company is owned by jewish there is about 30 people in the office only 8 are jewish everytime there is a jewish holiday and the people leave early they never get docked if the non jews leave early for their holidays we get docked. for the jewish holidays when we ask if the office is closing early we are always told "NO but if your jewish you can leave" next they send out memos about dress code "no sleve less shirts, no cap shirts, no jeans, no hats yet all the jewish women wear hats everyday and their jean skirts)

2nd for passover they FORCE us to clean our desks out and throw everything thats not kosher for passover out(they look thru our desks and make sure its empty!!!)

3rd which just totally got me soo pissed off they passed out a paper with the following:
Attention all staff

Kitchen must be kept kosher and clean
please rinse out any non-kosher utensils by sink near bathroom
please dont place any non kosher food on the table
all foods in the refrigerator must be in closed bags
if using the hot water machine please pour water into empty cup or contaiiner
microwave in the kitchen is for kosher food only. the non kosher microwave is in the back office

do any of you think im over reacting or is this getting redicilous with all the **** they are saying!!!!

 

[crox99]

Next time bring a ham & cheese sandwich and if they complain get the f@%$# out of there!!! Seriously if they want to keep a kitchen kosher than they should provide an equal kitchen for the non kosher ones. If they don't IMO that's sexual harassment.

 

[xobklynqt143]

im going after work or sometime this week to file a complaint against them.(and its religious not sexual lol)

 

[JHOV2324]

How is that sexual harrasement?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I believe that leaving early is a requirement for religious holidays in the Jewish faith because people who are observing are required to be home before sundown. therefore if they were docked time or pay for leaving early that would be an EEO problem because it is a requirement of the sacrament to be home before sundown. I know of no other faiths that require things like this so I don't know if it is an EEO type complaint.

As far as item 2 it's their desk and they have the right to go through it. Just like my locker at work, the items inside are dept property and if they want they can cut my lock and go through it if they want to.
As long as they don't take anything that is my personal property it's all good and if they do it has to be safeguarded for me until I pick it up.

Item 3 is touchy because it is also for religious observance.

IMO I don't think there is a valid EEO complaint on this, Jean skirts are not jeans and if hats are worn for religious observance it doesn't fall under the dress code. Any place of work can have and enforce a dress code as well. I am not there to see specifics so this is only my opinion. As far as taking crox suggestion that will definitely leave you open to an EEO complaint, I would not do that.

 

[cali_reef]

He don't know the difference :lol2:

I think you have the right to complain, but I am not sure how far you can get with the complain since the place sounds small and somewhat of a privet company.

 

[cali_reef]

Chief, sounded like it was okay to keep food in her desk as long as it is Kosher and non-kosher items are not allowed and restricted in other places. Sounds like good grounds for a EEO complain to me.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Yeah but like you said Pierce it sounds like a private company and complaints will be met with lots of resistance.

 

[cali_reef]

Yeah but like you said Pierce it sounds like a private company and complaints will be met with lots of resistance.

Yeah, be ready to look for another job if you plan to follow though with the complain.. They will most likely settle with EEO and you for few thousand bucks then ask you to leave.

I wonder if they would be OK for someone of Islamic faith to pray 5 times a day with few hours on Friday in that office :scratchch.

 

[xobklynqt143]

im also going to speak to a lawyer about this it was brought to managment the problems with this and he didnt do anything(hes jewish) i think its horrible i cant eat my lunch in the kitchen at the table that i need to sit at my desk and eat my food with people lookin and walking all by me.

 

[xobklynqt143]

i want to leave now im hoping i get fired because then id really press for a lawsuit

 

[JHOV2324]

Maybe you look into this jewish pizza place i went to...its not very tasty but its kosher....

 

[cali_reef]

I said crack open a can of SPAM for lunch everyday :lol2:

 

[xobklynqt143]

ya that pizza sucks!!!!!!!!! yuk the only food place thats walking distance is a kosher pizzeria, a deli and a horrible pizza place so it sucksssss

 

[xobklynqt143]

nooo us "non jewish" are having a holiday party and since im italian im bringing in prosciutto with mozzarella lol

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

:banghead: Losing focus on the not offending part.

 

[Savager]

:banghead: Losing focus on the not offending part.

LOL.

I guess I was very lucky. I used to work in this small company which was owned by a jewish guy. He was the best boss. We took all Jewish holidays as well as regular holiday. And he really didn't care about non-kosher food in his kitchen. Oh I wish I am still working for that company.

 

[masterswimmer]

Brendan is right. You won't have a leg to stand on. Sorry to be so blunt.

They are providing you with another microwave too. Therefore they're not saying you can't have non kosher food, just follow their direction, it's their kitchen. During Passover, there are even stricter dietary laws, as you now know.

As for leaving early during the holidays.....as Brendan said, in the Jewish religion, the holiday runs from sundown to sundown. It is required to be home (or in temple) before the holiday starts. I'm curious why you feel you are entitled to leave early on Jewish holidays without getting docked?

If they prevent YOU from observing YOUR religious beliefs, then you'd have grounds for legal action. It doesn't sound like they're making you work on Easter or Christmas or Thanksgiving for that matter.

Also, head coverings for Orthodox Jews, men and women are a religious observance. I highly doubt they're wearing baseball caps.

 

[JHOV2324]

So if she wears a Kangol would it be all good....the hats that are worn i'm sure are regular hats it cover the head...yes

 

[xobklynqt143]

no im saying if we leave for our holidays being new years or christmas(we work ALL holidays except jewish ones), i never leave early on their holidays. no they arent providing it we as in coworkers bought it and the hats are baseball caps or any type of hat they want