Religious telework?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone gotten an email on this?

[Anonymous]

My office allows 5 days of telework a year. I am thinking they will say these can be used for religious reasons and leave it at that . That would be much easier on managers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I nearly spit out my coffee when I read this guidance. Suddenly we’re embracing TW for religious reasons?!? Well I’m Jewish and while I’m not going to switch my schedule around to telework every Friday since that would seem plainly obvious I’m taking advantage, I will be using this liberally for Jewish holidays. especially those where we go to services the eve of; if I travel out of town to be with family I can TW from there; on some Fridays where we might to decide to go to Shabbat services. Thank you MAGAs for fake loving the Jews! I’ll take what I can get!

This is exactly how I feel- I am happy that I am able to telework to help prepare for the high holidays😊.

[Anonymous]

I am all for this for getting back to TW and for religious purposes. What really troubles me is the crackdown on reasonable accommodation for disabilities. The argument that TW is a low cost accommodation applies to folks with disabilities too but at least at my department they are treating it like everyone is faking it and trying to reduce the number of TW accommodations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this for getting back to TW and for religious purposes. What really troubles me is the crackdown on reasonable accommodation for disabilities. The argument that TW is a low cost accommodation applies to folks with disabilities too but at least at my department they are treating it like everyone is faking it and trying to reduce the number of TW accommodations.

I dont get religious accommodations. Catholics work Ash Wed and you can run out at lunch, before work or after work to get ashes. Do you need a day off? Also WFH is STUPD as you literally have to leave the house to leave the house in case of Ash Wed to go to church to get ashes you cant do it at home. Just a scam.

[Anonymous]

If people can telework for religious reasons then members of the Church of the Sub-genius can cite their sacrament of Slack to be able to tele-work full time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this for getting back to TW and for religious purposes. What really troubles me is the crackdown on reasonable accommodation for disabilities. The argument that TW is a low cost accommodation applies to folks with disabilities too but at least at my department they are treating it like everyone is faking it and trying to reduce the number of TW accommodations.

+1. Many departments have been awful about this. And there are supposed to be actual legal protections for disability accomodations. It makes it difficult to not feel like they're treating religion differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this for getting back to TW and for religious purposes. What really troubles me is the crackdown on reasonable accommodation for disabilities. The argument that TW is a low cost accommodation applies to folks with disabilities too but at least at my department they are treating it like everyone is faking it and trying to reduce the number of TW accommodations.

+1. Many departments have been awful about this. And there are supposed to be actual legal protections for disability accomodations. It makes it difficult to not feel like they're treating religion differently.

Well fakers will find a lot of success with religious accomodations because there really isn't any way to challenge someone's religious beliefs or whether something is actually a religion. Not saying they will have to allow full remote work based on your need to prepare daily goat sacrifice, but you can probably get 3-4 days per week for the Flying Spaghetti Monster weekly holidays.

[Anonymous]

What are managers going to do?

Get a signed letter from pastor, rabbi, or imam?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this for getting back to TW and for religious purposes. What really troubles me is the crackdown on reasonable accommodation for disabilities. The argument that TW is a low cost accommodation applies to folks with disabilities too but at least at my department they are treating it like everyone is faking it and trying to reduce the number of TW accommodations.

I dont get religious accommodations. Catholics work Ash Wed and you can run out at lunch, before work or after work to get ashes. Do you need a day off? Also WFH is STUPD as you literally have to leave the house to leave the house in case of Ash Wed to go to church to get ashes you cant do it at home. Just a scam.

Ash Wednesday is a bad example because it's not a day of obligation for Catholics. A better example would be a day of Holy Obligation like All Saints, and whether an accommodation is needed will depend on the details of the schedule.

But, as a Catholic, I'm already getting every Sabbath off, as well my two holiest holidays. I can absolutely see how an observant Jew who works 90 minutes from the office, might want an accommodation to WFH that lets them work up until sunset on a Friday or the day before a holiday, rather than taking 90 minutes of leave each week in the winter.

[Anonymous]

Tripping the question on whether this applies to situational TW for religious reasons or does the TW have to be part of a formal religious RA. It’s not clear.

[Anonymous]

*Reupping

[Anonymous]

WHY would any manager deny a request??? Why die in that hill?? Virtually zero risk for approving request; tons of risk in denying.

As a manager, I plan to approve every single one of these and just cc my supervisor as a cya.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this for getting back to TW and for religious purposes. What really troubles me is the crackdown on reasonable accommodation for disabilities. The argument that TW is a low cost accommodation applies to folks with disabilities too but at least at my department they are treating it like everyone is faking it and trying to reduce the number of TW accommodations.

I dont get religious accommodations. Catholics work Ash Wed and you can run out at lunch, before work or after work to get ashes. Do you need a day off? Also WFH is STUPD as you literally have to leave the house to leave the house in case of Ash Wed to go to church to get ashes you cant do it at home. Just a scam.

Ash Wednesday is a bad example because it's not a day of obligation for Catholics. A better example would be a day of Holy Obligation like All Saints, and whether an accommodation is needed will depend on the details of the schedule.

But, as a Catholic, I'm already getting every Sabbath off, as well my two holiest holidays. I can absolutely see how an observant Jew who works 90 minutes from the office, might want an accommodation to WFH that lets them work up until sunset on a Friday or the day before a holiday, rather than taking 90 minutes of leave each week in the winter.

This is every Friday for observant Jews though. Which I have no problem with - I just think it is absurd to act like telework is fine and no problem but ONLY for religious accomodation. Especially when the letter acknowledges that the benefit isn’t even strictly necessary for the religious observance, but just to save time while “preparing.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tripping the question on whether this applies to situational TW for religious reasons or does the TW have to be part of a formal religious RA. It’s not clear.

lol do you think this administration cares about this sort of detail?