Wisconsin company fires seven Muslim workers in prayer break dispute

[widdershins]

I just read this article about a dispute between a Wisconsin employer and several of its Muslim workers which lead to some being fired and others quitting.  Apparently the work schedule they agreed to when they were hired is suddenly incompatible with their faith, which requires them to fuck off pray several times during the work day.  The really annoying thing about it is that the company apparently went out of its way to set aside rooms specifically for Muslims to pray in to accommodate their religious beliefs.  But if you go out of your way to accommodate religious nuts just once they get it in their heads that you somehow owe them everything they want.

We really need to straighten the laws out to get religion out of the workplace altogether.  Is providing birth control for your employees against your religion?  Then don't have employees, because business laws regulate business, not your idiotic religious beliefs.  Is a job not compatible with your religious belief?  Then find a different fucking job that is compatible because business laws regulate business, not your idiotic religious beliefs.

[Nonsensei]

Plenty of pettiness to go around here.

On the one hand, the prayers take 5 minutes and only 2 of the 5 daily prayers required by the Islamic faith fall on normal work hours. It would be a pretty minor concession to let all employees use those two 10 minute breaks whenever they want. Then there wouldn't be any problems treating Muslims like special snowflakes. On a side note, 20 minutes a DAY? Does that include lunch? Holy shit is that even legal? Yuck!

On the other hand, from what I read muslims have a few hours to do their praying, which means they should have a lot of flexibility on when they pray. They could do the noon prayer during one of the scheduled breaks, and the mid afternoon prayer after they leave work.

I think this is just a matter of Wisconsin businessmen not liking Muslims much, and the Muslims disliking them right back.

[Baruch]

Rigidity is appropriate for rigor mortis.

It is noon at any time, someplace on Earth.  The Muslims need an imam who will recognize this, so the noon prayer can be done anytime ;-)

[aitm]

Nothing takes 5 minutes.

[SGOS]

If the company designated areas for them to pray in, I suspect there's more to the story that was left out.  But we are just the readers.  Our attention and understanding is not needed, just some sort of "get your nose out of joint" response.

[Nonsensei]

Nothing takes 5 minutes.

What about counting out 300 seconds?

[widdershins]

Nothing takes 5 minutes.

That's not true.  I don't mean to brag, but I have gotten a LOT better at sex over the nearly 25 years my wife and I have been together.  The first time took about 4 hours, but now I'm so good at it I can get it done in a couple minutes!