Hiring a JW or not?

fairchild

I work with about 30 guys who fail to realize that one can actually hold a conversation without swear words and still make sense. It doesn't happen that way. The words they use frequently make the F-word look like a polished piece of vocabulary.

Now, about 4 months ago, the son of a JW family in good standing applied for a job there. They hired him, but employed him in the girl's section of the building where the language is considerably better than in the section where I work. Now yesterday, his brother (a nice, polite young man who is trying hard to become an elder when he'll be old enough) applied for a job there as well. Unfortunately, the only jobs available right now are in the guy's section. So the manager came to me yesterday, asking for my opinion. He wanted to know if it would be appropriate to hire this kid. He is aware of the extremely filthy language used among us, and he asked me if this would corrupt or shock the boy too much and he left it up to me whether we should hire him or not.

I told him I'd give it some thought and let him know before the weekend is over. So I gave it some thought but I can't make up my mind. What I think might happen is, should we hire him, he'd tell his parents about how unhealthy this environment is for a JW, and they might force his brother to quit as well. This family is not well off, and they certainly could use the money. On the other hand, who am I to deny this kid a job? I hate to be the one making this decision and can't make up my mind. Any suggestions?

Oh, and it is not just about filthy language, you have NO idea. It really is not a good environment. Alcohol and drugs are rampant as well, and if you're not part of the heavy partying, they'll make your life so miserable you'll end up quitting anyways. Personally, I don't drink at all and don't do drugs, but I am a girl with a very big mouth between 30 guys and they know better than to mess with me. On top of that I have seniority over almost all of them, both in age and duration of my emplyment there. But what about a young JW? How traumatic it can be..

confusedjw

I would literally tell this guy that if in his position I would be concerned not with hiring a moral fellow, but what he's allowing to take place concerning language and the creation of a hostile atmosphere.

fairchild

I would literally tell this guy that if in his position I would be concerned not with hiring a moral fellow, but what he's allowing to take place concerning language and the creation of a hostile atmosphere.

True enough. The rule at work is "be on time, do your job as you are asked, leave your alcohol and drugs by the door and wear your uniform". This rule is always respected, and they don't hesitate to fire a person who violates the rules. However, everyone hangs out together after work to drink and do drugs. If you don't hang out with them, you are "marked" and they will make things real tough on you. I'll be leaving for work in an hour, and I can guarantee you that some of the guys will have been awake since yesterday morning, high on coke or whatever. The manager is a party guy as well, and he hangs out with the drinkers a lot after work. The owners don't know the first thing about all that. As for the language, several of the managers have tried and tried and tried to make people polish their speech. They even went as far as to force people to say "romantic", instead of swearwords. It ended up being hilarious. One guy calling another a "romantic sumbitch".

johnny cip

do yourself a favor. vote not to hire this jw and leave the job for some one that woyuld fit in. unless you want him to get a dose of the real world. john

fairchild

Thanks John, that's exactly what I was thinking. I guess I just wanted someone else's opinion. My workplace isn't even the "real world", because in the read world, people are much less rude, and I'm sure that drugs aren't as rampant everywhere (I certainly hope not).

Things used to be a lot calmer at work, but a bunch of people who were hired over the summer were bad influences and they dragged everyone else along. I don't even want my co-workers to know where I live, and I very often have nightmares about that place. On a positive note, most of the workers don't stay for more than 3 months, so who knows, chances are things will be better a few months from now. But for the time being, I don't think this is the right place for this kid. Just in the past two months, not one, but THREE of my co-workers got arrested. Two are still in jail.

luna2

Dang, fairchild, that does sound bad. Be careful yourself! It does seem that it would be in this jw kid's best interest not to be hired there ...heck any kid's best interest.

Darth Yhwh

How long will this kid continue to be sheltered from the reality of life on planet earth? He applied for the job. For once the kid is stepping out on a limb to make a decision for him self and you’re concerned about how the environment will affect him? I’ll tell you what will happen, one of two things.

First possible scenario is that he’ll quit the job with the affirmation in his mind about how terrible things are out side of Jehovah’s organization. He'll go on to become an upstanding elder in the local congregation and live happily ever after, forever on a paradise earth.

Second possible scenario is that he’ll get wrapped up with the bad associations and they’ll have a negative impact on his spiritual relationship with his god. He’ll get disfellowshiped and start researching Jehovah’s Witnesses on the Internet and realize that he’s been living a lie his entire life.

Are you getting paid to make this decision? I would tell my boss to get a sack and grab the bull by the horns and make up his own mind, unless he wants to give me a raise.

Jeannine

I would have no problem with hiring the kid. Give him a chance to make up his own mind. My problem is with the bosses who allow such a hostile environment to continue. The bosses' only response to a filthy environment is "Maybe we should think before we hire religious worshippers" ??? WTF !! This is religious discrimination at its worst. Here is a kid who NEEDS a job and he might not get hired because of his religion? An attorney would drool over this case. If I were you, I'd have NO PART in illegally discriminating in the hiring practices of this company. Even if you discuss this kid's religion with the bosses as part of a larger "what should we do" meeting, you are as liable for religious discrimination as anyone else. Don't be part of it. It is illegal. I am the last person to defend the JWs because I think that they are a bunch of lunatics. However, I am all for equal protection FOR ALL PEOPLE. This kid has a right to his religious beliefs that should never have any bearing whatsoever on his ability to get a job. It makes no difference to the law that the kid wasn't hired for his own protection. How ignorant does that sound coming from people in a management position? It is management's duty to make sure that the environment is NOT HOSTILE. It is NOT this kid's duty to go begging for a job somewhere else because this job won't hire a JW. Hire the kid and let him make his own decision about the environment. Good grief.

avishai

Hire him, your not his mom. You can't be responsible for his "moral turpitude" and should'nt be expected too. The real world has bad stuff in it, period. All jobs will, and do, it's unavoidable. There's people who AT LEAST smoke pot on damn near every job I've been on. Nearly all of them swear. If the dub can't handle it, he's gonna starve.

If he can't find a way to fit in w/ the big boys ( you obviously have) he'll find another job.

Gill

Say No to hiring this poor kid. God knows he's got enough problems as it is by the sounds of it. Ask your boss if he can reconsider him when he's got a place going in the 'girls dept.' I think he would be just too traumatised as would any kid who's not used to vulgarity and perhaps really scared!

Hiring a JW or not?

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