Anonymous
07/19/2025 14:09
Subject: Religious telework?
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.
We can't leave the campus at lunch, and our cafeteria doesn't serve fish on Fridays during Lent. Sounds like a good reason to work from home.
Anonymous
07/19/2025 10:07
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I just read it. It doesn’t specifically say Jewish people can TW every Friday or Muslims can telework the whole month of Ramadan.
It specifically mentions fasting as a reason, which would cover Ramadan. I hope this makes people's lives easier!
I am not muslim, but another mainstream faith that fasts for a season.
The point of fasting in my faith tradition is that you carry on with daily life through those40 days, don't complain, and offer up the discomfort of fasting and suffering without changing your daily schedule. Isn't ramadan fasting the same? Fasting with special accomodations to make the sacrifice easier is not the way the fasting is done. Are there any devout muslims here that can affirm or correct?
No that is not the case. In Muslim countries, regular life pretty much shuts down in Ramadan. Ramadan isn’t just fasting - there are nightly prayers in the mosque every day. Particularly in the last ten nights you pretty much try to stay up as late as you can in prayer. Also, you are generally waking up around 5ish am for the predawn meal. Commuting for 1-2 hours a day on top of all this is incredible difficult. Not impossible but very difficult.
In your faith tradition, when you fast for 40 days, do you completely abstain from all food and drink (yes, even water)? In my experience the long days and prolonged periods of no water day after day are exhausting by the second or third week.
This kind of lifestyle is not compatible with working whether in the office or at home. They should take vacation days.
yeah it sucks trying to work with these people when they don't eat anythin gall day every day. useless.
Anonymous
07/19/2025 10:05
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote: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!
You should absolutely telework every Friday.
I agree. Telework shouldn't only be for the Evangelical political appointees and SES.
Anonymous
07/19/2025 09:56
Subject: Religious telework?
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!
You should absolutely telework every Friday.
Anonymous
07/19/2025 09:54
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
Well if you go to your home church, isn't it easier to do all that when teleworking as opposed to trying to do it in the morning before work, or get home in time after work?
So many things were easier with telework! Didn't seem to matter until this little carve out which seems a whole lot like DEI!
lol you nailed it. Religion is the only thing that merits telework flexibility because … why again?
Because this administration cares intensely about religion (or at least the "right" religions) and hates disabilities and differences.
Not saying it's right, but it's not hard to figure out.
Anonymous
07/19/2025 09:53
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote: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.
Well if you go to your home church, isn't it easier to do all that when teleworking as opposed to trying to do it in the morning before work, or get home in time after work?
So many things were easier with telework! Didn't seem to matter until this little carve out which seems a whole lot like DEI!
lol you nailed it. Religion is the only thing that merits telework flexibility because … why again?
Anonymous
07/19/2025 09:50
Subject: Religious telework?
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.
Well if you go to your home church, isn't it easier to do all that when teleworking as opposed to trying to do it in the morning before work, or get home in time after work?
So many things were easier with telework! Didn't seem to matter until this little carve out which seems a whole lot like DEI!
Anonymous
07/19/2025 09:35
Subject: Religious telework?
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.
Well if you go to your home church, isn't it easier to do all that when teleworking as opposed to trying to do it in the morning before work, or get home in time after work?
Anonymous
07/19/2025 08:54
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I just read it. It doesn’t specifically say Jewish people can TW every Friday or Muslims can telework the whole month of Ramadan.
It specifically mentions fasting as a reason, which would cover Ramadan. I hope this makes people's lives easier!
I am not muslim, but another mainstream faith that fasts for a season.
The point of fasting in my faith tradition is that you carry on with daily life through those40 days, don't complain, and offer up the discomfort of fasting and suffering without changing your daily schedule. Isn't ramadan fasting the same? Fasting with special accomodations to make the sacrifice easier is not the way the fasting is done. Are there any devout muslims here that can affirm or correct?
No that is not the case. In Muslim countries, regular life pretty much shuts down in Ramadan. Ramadan isn’t just fasting - there are nightly prayers in the mosque every day. Particularly in the last ten nights you pretty much try to stay up as late as you can in prayer. Also, you are generally waking up around 5ish am for the predawn meal. Commuting for 1-2 hours a day on top of all this is incredible difficult. Not impossible but very difficult.
In your faith tradition, when you fast for 40 days, do you completely abstain from all food and drink (yes, even water)? In my experience the long days and prolonged periods of no water day after day are exhausting by the second or third week.
This kind of lifestyle is not compatible with working whether in the office or at home. They should take vacation days.
Anonymous
07/19/2025 08:33
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I just read it. It doesn’t specifically say Jewish people can TW every Friday or Muslims can telework the whole month of Ramadan.
It specifically mentions fasting as a reason, which would cover Ramadan. I hope this makes people's lives easier!
I am not muslim, but another mainstream faith that fasts for a season.
The point of fasting in my faith tradition is that you carry on with daily life through those40 days, don't complain, and offer up the discomfort of fasting and suffering without changing your daily schedule. Isn't ramadan fasting the same? Fasting with special accomodations to make the sacrifice easier is not the way the fasting is done. Are there any devout muslims here that can affirm or correct?
No that is not the case. In Muslim countries, regular life pretty much shuts down in Ramadan. Ramadan isn’t just fasting - there are nightly prayers in the mosque every day. Particularly in the last ten nights you pretty much try to stay up as late as you can in prayer. Also, you are generally waking up around 5ish am for the predawn meal. Commuting for 1-2 hours a day on top of all this is incredible difficult. Not impossible but very difficult.
In your faith tradition, when you fast for 40 days, do you completely abstain from all food and drink (yes, even water)? In my experience the long days and prolonged periods of no water day after day are exhausting by the second or third week.
Anonymous
07/18/2025 16:35
Subject: Religious telework?
A coworker asked to work from home every Friday today based on the opm memo. He was told he had to wait for guidance from our agency
Anonymous
07/18/2025 13:11
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:So caring for your children is not as important as prepping for attendance at a church service??
To this administration? No. Their solution to caring for children is for folks who do caregiving to just not work outside the home.
With telework, people caring for children can both work inside the home AND still take on a lot of domestic roles like laundry, fixing dinner etc. Before RTO, I was literally doing it all, and still maintaining an "exceeds expectations" rating at work so I know it can be done. But it's a lot harder now with an added 2-3 hours a day sitting on the Metro.
Anonymous
07/18/2025 12:53
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote:So caring for your children is not as important as prepping for attendance at a church service??
To this administration? No. Their solution to caring for children is for folks who do caregiving to just not work outside the home.
Anonymous
07/18/2025 12:38
Subject: Religious telework?
So caring for your children is not as important as prepping for attendance at a church service??
Anonymous
07/18/2025 11:23
Subject: Religious telework?
Anonymous wrote: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.”
I'm the Catholic you're quoting. I have no problem with observant Jews, or even Jews who observe the Sabbath for cultural reasons, getting an accommodation for their Sabbath. I think it would be hypocritical of me to object to that when the entire workweek is structured to accommodate my Sabbath.