My employer, having more religion than intellect, keeps sending out spam asking the recipient to boycott Target becuase they support lesbianism somehow, or Swanson Broths because they market their chicken stock to *** men who like to cook. Is this illegal in the workplace, or is this ranting about *** conspiracies protected free speech? Also, is it legal in the good ol’ USA for a boss to read quotes from the Holy Babble in the monthly staff meeting?
Incidentally, she also lies to, and steals from her own employees… but that’s another question entirely.
BTW, she’s the OWNER of the company… her mother started it while she was in drug rehab and trying to get her GED (she’s a HS dropout). Now she states, with a straight face, that she “started the company with a little help” from her mother. LOL.
Yes, I know that I should get another job… and I’d take just about anything, if I could afford to do so.
I think that is unethical because someone gender has nothing to do with your work.
Lawsuit waiting to happen. This guy sounds like a moron
I wouldn’t be able to tolerate such a bigoted company/boss. I’d leave.
I don’t know for sure, but it shouldn’t be legal for them to try to push their religious/moral values on you.
You would think that was a form of discrimination… But for what ever reason she feels the need to push her views on everyone… as for reading from the bible, how does she know that everyone reads the same bible? She could be really offended some people! Maybe you need to go above her like to the regional manager or even the owner of the company depending on how big the company is… you need to do something…if you fell uncomfortable them most likely other people do as well to!! Lots of luck to you
I’m afraid if she keeps on talking about my book, “The *** Agenda”, which I send to all card-carrying homosexuals as instructions of how to overthrow the heterosexist system and recruit little boys, she will just have to send me royalties.
Damn! I can’t believe she found out about my plots at Target and Swanson! HOW ELSE can I succeed in making all males *** unless I take over those two corporations!
As to your other question, however, I suppose that if she is your employer, and you are so “blessed” as to be in her hire, she could read the phone book or the Satanic Bible to you at monthly staff meetings if she wanted. Free speech and all. Of course, you don’t have to accept what she says.
Damn! Damn! She found out about my *** chicken broth! How could she possibly know?!
*worried about the success of The *** Agenda now that your employer knows the truth*
Well depends on the State. But yes she is a boss and this is illegal. It would be just the same if she was sending out emails about “The Black Agenda” or “The Jewish Agenda” its very wrong. It violates anti-descrimination in the work place laws. REPORT HER TO HER BOSS if possible.
Oh and if you got an Anti-Descrimination literature when you first started working there (witch all work places should give out) Show her the part where it says you cannot discriminate against…”Race, Religion, Creed, Disabilities, Or Sexual Orientation”
Both activities are protected speech under the Constitution. Take it away from her because you don’t agree and your speech is next.
PC is a crime against the Constitution.
“The Constitution gives me the right to be offensive. It does not give you the right to be free from being offended.” Judge A. Napalitono, NY Superior Court
I don’t think it’s illegal, but it definitely is wrong. By the way, “Holy Babble” made me laugh hysterically! LOL.
Whether her actions are legal or not is really not important.
The real question is why don’t you find another job. It’s clear that this is not the best place for you to work, and you really have no other option. Find another job as soon as possible, so that you do not get taken advantage of by her.
If you don’t have a contract, quit without warning or explanation, and have them send your last check to your attorney, if you have one.
As for her actions, they border on harassment, but it would probably be very difficult to do anything about it that would improve your situation at that company. Getting out while you can is really the only option, especially since she steals from her employees.
After you leave and you have nothing to lose, report her. Make sure you have your facts straight, with all relevant names and places. You will not get anything out of it yourself, but there is a small chance that you will contribute to the failure of her company, which is a blight on the market.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
WOW!!! There’s goes a lawsuit!!
That probably depends on a number of things like is this a private or public company, the state you’re located in, and if this company has a policy on proper email usage.
I work for a large multinational corporation and we receive emails regarding certain congressional bills that would benefit our company if they are passed. These emails usually urge me to “contact my local congressman” and urge them to vote accordingly. Nothing is ever mentioned in the email that compliance is mandatory or that my job will be in jeopardy if I do not do as requested. And I do understand that the welfare of my employer–and my job by extension–can be affected by these outside events and circumstances.
However, having gone through a rigorous, on-line training program in which we have to learn about violence int he workplace, insider trading, sexual harassment, business ethics, trade secrets, foreign corrupt practices and information resource policy, I have to say that I feel my company just ever-so-slightly crosses the line in emailing me stuff like this and asking me to “contact my congressman.”
If your company DOES have a policy regarding proper email usage, it probably says something like “the email system is to be used ONLY for inter-company communication regarding ONLY business matters. It should not be used for personal, political, or other profit-making ventures exclusive of the company.” If your boss is NOT the owner of the company you work for, you can collect her emails and send them off to HR, indicating a violation of the company’s email policy. With enough emails as proof (and probably others who agree with you that they are, in fact, inappropriate), corrective action MAY be taken.
About “Prayer in the Boardroom”: that’s probably not illegal but if she insists on doing it and not realizing that she’s turning off more people than she’s inspiring, then she’s a dolt. As much as sexual harassment or violence in the workplace isn’t appropriate, neither is a “daily Bible lesson.”
It’s too bad we’ve come to this in our country: having to legislate SO many rules to make sure that no one offends anybody is getting WAAAAAAAAAAY out of hand. If your boss wants to quote scripture, I’d say let her. But if she has that right then I would answer, “I have the right to get up and leave when she starts doing her ‘Jesus on the Mount’ thing.” Whatever happened to “live and let live” and if someone annoys you, simply walk away?
Oh. Just read your “Additional Details.” Good luck with all that. Perhaps in the interest of “equal time” like they do with Presidential debaters, you can send out emails about and read passages from “The Necronomicon.”
The issue is what state you reside in. Some states have laws against intimidation in the workplace based on sexuality, similar to racial intimidation laws.
You might start with a call to your state Attorney General’s office to see if they would be interested in pursuing it as a hostile workplace issue.
I would start documenting everything she does both for the hostile workplace issue and regarding her theft from the company. I had a thief of a boss and the way we got him upon departure was calling the IRS. Most people who steal income from their own company don’t report the income, which can be a major issue.
I’d note that leaving the company sooner than later isn’t a bad move. Someone this cracked and stealing assets of the company will run the biz into the ground sooner than later.
As to the *** conspiracy, use Snopes.com to refute them, as I recall finding both issues on Snopes in the past. Mystery disputing postings on the bulletin board would be fun, or an “unknown” email address sent as a reply to her emails wouldn’t be bad.
If you do get another job, I would hope you’d flame her pretty good on the way out the door and invite others to join you. Some people just don’t deserve success and there’s no reason for you to help her find it.
You might also hit up mom, if she’s still around, and say that this is going to be your last year there because of the daughter. I’d think mom has remaining financial interest in the company and she might take steps to rein in the daughter.
You could also contact a private attorney regarding a hostile workplace lawsuit. He/she could write a letter expressing concern that the owner is in violation of this state law or that and ask nicely that she straighten up.
Most likely, her ire would be aimed at you. Play your cards right and she could fire you and you’d have a handy lawsuit. Heck, you could own the place if you did it right.
But if it was me, I’d go out the door with as much evidence in my pocket as possible and a giant fireball behind me that might inspire others to see her for the flake she is.
Jim the Yooper
When I said flame, that was as in shine bright light on the truth, not wearing your best Saturday night disco dress!!!
You should put your question in with “law” people with background in Law will be able to help you out more with this. But i would say that its illegal for your boss to be sending you spam emails. Your boss should be emailing you about work and nothing else. Your boss has a right to free speech, but if it offends someone in the workplace it can be considered harassment, Doesn’t matter if they are the boss. Are you in a union? contact them, they can talk to you about the laws and such that apply to this. I think you should save all email, record all meetings, and get this woman in trouble because what shes doing is illegal to me.
good luck hun
Yes, it is legal, however, it is also poor practice on her part. Particularly the religious thing could potentially lead to a discrimination lawsuit on the basis of religion. Unfortunately, in most places we are not protected from discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation. If we were, there could potentially be a harassment claim involved. Maybe in the future.
Like others have said, if it makes you uncomfortable, I would leave the company. When I left, I would make sure the owner knew exactly why I was leaving. Perhaps, if enough people complained, there would be change in your company.