Working on Sunday

[Richard King]

I am a former pharmaceutical rep who has been mowing yards after a lay-off. It looks as if I will never be back in the drug rep world and that is probably just as well. But as winter comes on I have been trying to get something that will be a little more secure than landscaping even if not lucrative.
I huge Home Depot is opening within walking distance of my home. I thought that might be perfect. I submitted online job applications as they requested and never heard back.
So...

I just talked in person with a Home Depot personnel interviewer at the new store who told me that the reason I had not been considered and my applications had not been followed up on was because I put down that I would work any day, any time EXCEPT Sunday.
She said they completely disregarded my application when they saw that.

I am in a quandry now. First of all I now consider them to be incredibly stupid to the point that I am not nearly as excited about working for them and secondly I just want to do what is right.

Of course I need a job badly but should I tell them NO, or try to negotiate Sundays off after I prove my worth to a supervisor, or just take a part time position that has no benefits but allows me Sundays off?

 

[SolaScriptura]

Yeah... if you want a job in sales then you are likely to have to work on Satudays AND Sundays.

Here's my suggestion: try to find a job (or reasonable combination of jobs) that will allow you to have Sunday off WHILE ALLOWING YOU TO MAKE ENDS MEET. However, if you can't find employment that will allow you to make ends meet then go ahead and find a job that will cause you to work on Sunday. That would be a work of necessity. However, if that is the case, I think you should continually have your eye open for something that will allow you to support yourself and have Sunday as a day of rest.

 

[Gregg]

Originally posted by joshua
Unless it's a job of necessity (i.e police, medical, security, fire, emergency), In my humble opinion and according to my understanding of God's law, I would take the part time w/ no benefits and Lord's Day off. God will provide. On a practical note, if you take what they give you and afterwards try to negotiate you'll have no ground to stand on...

 

[Gregg]

Maybe you could post your need in the prayer forum and others here will pray for you.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Originally posted by joshua
Unless it's a job of necessity (i.e police, medical, security, fire, emergency), In my humble opinion and according to my understanding of God's law, I would take the part time w/ no benefits and Lord's Day off. God will provide. On a practical note, if you take what they give you and afterwards try to negotiate you'll have no ground to stand on...

 

[matt01]

Originally posted by joshua
Unless it's a job of necessity (i.e police, medical, security, fire, emergency), In my humble opinion and according to my understanding of God's law, I would take the part time w/ no benefits and Lord's Day off. God will provide. On a practical note, if you take what they give you and afterwards try to negotiate you'll have no ground to stand on...

Though I would first work to secure employment that allowed me the Lord's Day off, at some point it may become a necessity that you work on Sunday. Failure to provide for your family, so that you can attend church would not be honoring to God.

 

[Puritan Sailor]

Richard, if this behavior on their part continues, you may want to remind them they are breaking the law regarding religious discrimination. They can't require you to work on Sundays if your religion forbids it.

 

[matt01]

Originally posted by joshua
Does God call us to sin in one area in order to obey Him in other areas?

If you have used the means, truly used the means, I wouldn't call it sin. As SolaScriptura said, it would be a work of necessity. I now work every other Sunday, from 12:01 am to 9 am and 8:30 pm to 12 pm. Is this sin? I believe that I used all of the means, and I am constantly looking for something else. Due to the sinfulness of the world and the individual, there are some who will be forced to work on Sunday. Congratulations if you are able to find a way around this. Pray for those who are not in the same position.

 

[pastorway]

Originally posted by puritansailor
Richard, if this behavior on their part continues, you may want to remind them they are breaking the law regarding religious discrimination. They can't require you to work on Sundays if your religion forbids it.

this may not be accurate. My understanding is that this only applies AFTER you have been hired. A company does not have to hire you if you stipulate certain days off, no matter the reason. That is why many companies now require 7 day availability before they will even interview you. If you tell them you need Sunday off they will not interview you and actually and technically (though it is based in being discriminatory) they are not breaking the law.

If they hire you and then you tell them you need Sunday off, they are required by law to accommodate your religious practices.

Phillip

PS - we will be praying for you in your job search.

 

[Herald]

Originally posted by SolaScriptura
Yeah... if you want a job in sales then you are likely to have to work on Satudays AND Sundays.

Here's my suggestion: try to find a job (or reasonable combination of jobs) that will allow you to have Sunday off WHILE ALLOWING YOU TO MAKE ENDS MEET. However, if you can't find employment that will allow you to make ends meet then go ahead and find a job that will cause you to work on Sunday. That would be a work of necessity. However, if that is the case, I think you should continually have your eye open for something that will allow you to support yourself and have Sunday as a day of rest.

If you mean 'retail sales', I would agree. I am in outside sales. Any weekend work is spent in my home office prepping for the next week. Perhaps outside sales may be something to look at (that is, if you are interested in being a salesperson). Feel free to U2U me if you are interested in sales. I can point you in the right direction and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.