Any HR Executive on board ? (How do you manage to not to celebrate employee

I am a Muslim in New Delhi, India. I have recently graduated in MBA in HR. I intend to join as a HR Executive as trainee. One of the responsibilites of a HR executive is to indulge in employee engagment activies, one of which is to celebrate the birthdays of employee. Since, my religious beliefs don't allow me to celebrate brithdays, i am very much frustrated over taking a job offer in this field.

I would like to hear comments from JWs who are HR Executives and yet manage to not celebrate birthdays.

Regards

Iamallcool

Many of our posters here are ex jws.

carla

Did you not know that would be part of the job? Why would you go for a job knowing that is part or your responsibility?

cofty

Can you explain in your own words why you believe celebrating somebodies birthday is wrong?

jgnat

I did some googling to catch myself up on Muslim beliefs. http://www.qss.org/articles/celebrations/6-4.html

I am sure not all Muslims are as serious about this restriction as others.

Working in HR, you must be respectful of the traditions of all cultures.

Jeffro

One of the responsibilites of a HR executive is to indulge in employee engagment activies, one of which is to celebrate the birthdays of employee. Since, my religious beliefs don't allow me to celebrate brithdays, i am very much frustrated over taking a job offer in this field.

Be honest about your beliefs when applying for the position. It might be that duties related to such celebrations are optional. If the job includes obligations you are not willing to perform, you should look for a job somewhere else.

You say your beliefs "don't allow" you to celebrate birthdays rather than saying you don't want to. Do you refrain from birthday celebrations because you believe birthday celebrations are 'wrong', or only because you're 'not allowed'??

Scully

If you have a secretary, you could delegate that responsibility to them. That way you are in compliance with the directive without being directly involved.

Your other alternative would be to work for a Muslim company that only hires other Muslims, so you wouldn't have to worry about mingling with non-Muslims, since that is what Islam objects to - because it's okay for you to celebrate the birthdays of Muslims, right?

Broken Promises

It's not about celebrating the birthdays of non-Muslims, it's celebrating birthdays full stop.

Muslims don't celebrate birthdays.

Band on the Run

I am posting way too much this weekend. As a lawyer, I would argue that as an HR executive, you are not acknowledging anyone's birthday personally. Rather, you have a master/servant relationship with your employer. It is your employer's policy, not yours. Until you are the CEO, you are merely an instrument to carry out the corporate policy. No one is asking for your personal view or discretion.

Celebrating employee appreciation in many forms is an essential function of your job. There is no religious discrimination issue in the US. You cannot held any business hostage to your personal beliefs. If your conscience or brothers hectoring you is present, simply transfer to another field.

This is well settled law. An employer could accomodate your r eligion in ways that do not affect the job's primary function. Imposing your belief against your employers borders on the unconsciable. You are not the only person with religious beliefs in the world. If you want to change this, I suggest you become the CEO or owner. The Board of Directors would most likely fire you in that case.