How many of you had trouble getting or keeping jobs because of JW schedule?

puffthedragon

Before I acquired a skill, I worked retail. Like many jobs that work non-traditional hours, when you apply for a job in retail or a restaurant or something, you have to tell them what hours you are available to work. Now most people looking for a job, unless they are in school or something, are available to work whenever the job requires. However witnesses cant miss meetings for work without looking like pagans, so my forms looked something like this:

Sunday: Must be off (Service and talk/wt)

Monday available

Tuesday: Must be off by 5 (school/service meeting)

Wednesday: 1-close (Since I worked such a flexible job, their words, I should be able to take out the FS group)

Thursday: Must be off by 5 (Bookstudy, which I had to often conduct)

Friday: available

Saturday: 1-close

Then, we had assemblies, conventions, memorial, and I havent even had a vacation yet.

The interviews went poorly and I was told multiple times I had to increase my availability to get the job, or that they would schedule me whenever and I had to trade to get my day off. Often I just had to lose the hours and get someone to cover, with no replacement hours, as my schedule was so tight, I couldn't actually trade, but had to just miss out on income. I almost lost my job when I tried to take off for pioneer school, but threatened a lawsuit "religious discrimination" (JW's love that for any job that asks them to miss a meeting and actually show up for work.

I know many jobs, days off are done by senority, and sometimes a request, particularly in the summer will be flat out denied, and if you take off anyway, you can lose your job. I was just wondering if many others had the same problem maintaining a job while in an organization that demonizes education and bettering yourself.

garyneal

I had encountered something similar when I used to attend a church that absolutely demanded that we be present for Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night services. I recall trying to state on my application that I needed Sundays off and Wednesday nights off. Many restaurant and retail jobs expected people to work on Sundays so that did not always go well.

The church would say that if we were really following God that He would provide the necessary job but I always found it hypocritical of them to go shop for groceries or eat out at restaurants on Sundays after church. I mean, someone had to work to provide those services to them (and don't give me that worldly people doing it crap, what if all people went to churches like ours? Where would they go then?)

The last straw was when I recall going with my uncle, after attending his IFB church, to do a delivery job at a bottling plant. I asked him, "I thought Christians aren't suppose to work on Sunday?" He basically weaseled his way out by saying sometimes you had to do what you had to do. Right, I thought and it was not long after that I decided to make a way for myself and stop limiting myself by their assinine rules.

WTWizard

I found out that it is unwise to not be available on Tuesday or Thursday evening, particularly for those types of jobs. Your hours usually go way down, and your paychecks become toilet paper. Not to mention, you are more disposable if you cannot work those days.

This is especially true with Walmart, which maintains an open availability policy (you belong to Walmart). They do that to prevent people from finding other part-time work so they can make ends meet, but it especially affects witlesses because they might be called in to work at 8 AM the morning they are supposed to take the group out in field circus or at 7 PM on a boasting session night. Which hits many of them hard because the witlesses usually can't do much better without the skills.

garyneal

This is especially true with Walmart, which maintains an open availability policy (you belong to Walmart).

Not to derail this thread but that was one aspect of them (Wal-mart) that I hated most. I am glad I no longer have to work for them but there are a lot of people I know (my mom included) who still do. Many of them on my wife's side of the family and as a result, they are indeed weak witnesses. My mother-in-law draws disability so she gets to pio-sneer all she wants. What a truly excellent example of a GREAT CHRISTIAN! Don't work, live off disability, and serve JEHOVAH.

I guess only people like me (who sees the hypocrisy in the whole 'God will provide' argument) can see why witnesses should not take this too seriously.

blondie

We had 12 congregations in the area with several scheuldes. I would go to 3 different congregations to work around my school schedule. Of course, the elders said they didn't know if I was going and told them to use their phones and take attendance in the other congregations. But I w asn't an MS or an elder or had important duties, right, being a woman?

I know one brother than drove one way 70 miles to attend the Sunday meeting to work around his schedule and switched congregations every year when the meeting changed from afternoon to morning. And he was an elder. Also in one congregation with shift work, they formed a congregation revolving around their work schedule b ecause so many elders and MS were affected.

I knew airline pilots that were accommodated as we as salesmen on the road that went to meetings on the road and only at the assigned congo on the weekend..........

WT = hyprocrisy

moshe

After I left the JWs I understood why I got laid off a lot in construction- especially in December and January- it was because of Christmas.

Not signing the bosses Xmas card was bad enough, but JWs always felt obligated to explain WHY they refused-(damn pagan holiday)- anyway, after I left the JWs I made more money that I ever did. I remember one big money overtime job- I was a general foreman and another former JW was the nightshift GF!! The tendency is to let people go that you don't like very well, even if they are good workers--

wasblind

Great thread Puff

I think there's a law that requires an employer to allow at least 2 hours

to those who wish to attend a religious service, on Sunday

that's what was done at my old job

All those other days that the WTS would require took money out your pocket

and food off the table

I can't recall anyone takin' off of second shift, to attend the book study

at the elders house

The ones who worked 3rd shift, had to get ready for the book study

go home take a napp, get back up and go to work

BluesBrother

When you are a dub considering a job, the first question has to be "What are the hours?" then, "what will I have to do?"

So many worthwhile jobs require shift patterns.. Hospitals, Ambulences, any essential services and of course the very idea of prolonged study for additional qualifications are definitely out since it would interfere with "Kingdom Service".When I was young I worked retail, which was then Monday to Saturday 9 to five (roughly) Nowadays it is different.

There are many things that a dub cannot do..sell cigarettes, work on defence contracts, I knew a lad who was sacked from a photo lab when he refused to process glamour photo's ..and these are just ordinary jobs not the better careers.

No, it is not easy to find acceptable work as a J W, perhaps that is why so many are self employed cleaners, builders and so on. At least they can decide to decline a job renovating the church hall....

exwhyzee

I remember back when I was a kid they had 5 an 8 day assemblies and the Brothers were encouraged to quit their jobs if they couldn't get time off. After all, Jehovah would provide them with a new one and it would prove their faith in him if they quit. They'd have "experiences" on the platform about brothers who quit their jobs in order to attend and then who went on to find better jobs.(applause applause) I'm sure if anyone quit a job it was because it was a dead end one anyway....anyone with a good job attended on the weekends and was made to feel unfaithful.

j dubb

Sunday has become the busiest day of the week for many retailers and I imagine restaurants. Right after traditional church time, people hit the stores and restaurants, and of course, 60% of the population doesn't regularly attend church. Chik-fil-a notwithstanding.

I have worked jobs where the hiring manager is ok with your availability but the scheduling system is not. I remember having to put 'anytime' availibility for Sunday to continue to be scheduled at a job...the weekday evenings usually wasn't a problem schedule wise.

How many of you had trouble getting or keeping jobs because of JW schedule?

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