Sunday working and new job

Madjock

http://westwing.bewarne.com/second/25admonitions.html

This reminds me of an episode of The West Wing. I doubt the OP is going to bother clicking on the link, but it's there anyway. One thing I have noticed in my deliberations on various religions in the course of my spiritual life (or lack thereof!), is the innate talent for interpreting anything to mean just about anything. I think I'm with Aaron Sorkin on this one.

eschaton

Naf wrote: »

Isaiah 58:13 "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words"

Jesus suffering....

lemontart

why did you not ask about working hours? surely you did your research and knew this business operated 7 days a week

I am also a christian and work Sundays and high days and holidays I knew when I went for interview that it was as 24/7/365 operation.

Going to work to put a roof over your head and food on the able is hardly doing what is your pleasure as quoted,

Savvy_Sue

Actually, I'm not going to get into an exchange of proof texts. No-one ever wins except the people who think we're insane for believing ...

I am glad that the OP is at least thinking about it, rather than doing what everyone else does, or (hopefully) just doing what their church says. Goodness knows we need people to think more, not less.

There are times when I'd have loved the chance to 'keep the sabbath': to have a day off from the endless round of nappies, feeding the family, washing up, doing the laundry, to allow space just to think about my faith. Especially as I was fairly regularly doing all that on my own because DH was elsewhere, leading a service or preaching. But I think the OP is making a false dichotomy between 'work' and 'employment': what I do in my 'employment' is done as selfless service to my colleagues and those we're offering a service to; what I do for my family is (mostly) done as selfless service (but sometimes a little grumpily); next month when I go to speak at a local church (and possibly preach) to publicise the charity I work for that too will be done as selfless service. Actually, some of what I type on MSE is also selfless service, although I won't pretend I don't enjoy it!

When I worked at a Housing Association, when I worked at a University, when I worked at a large national charity, when I volunteered at the boys' schools and at church, none of that was in a box labelled 'work' which God didn't come into.

Well, I guess the way forward is for the OP to see what hours are expected. If they include regular Sundays, then it's back to job-hunting. And at future interviews where Sunday working might be expected, formal or informal, get it on the record from the start.

Naf

lemontart wrote: »

why did you not ask about working hours? surely you did your research and knew this business operated 7 days a week

Research? Its a new startup, and when my friend put me forward to my new boss even my friend wasn't entirely certain what exactly was planned.

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Actually, I'm not going to get into an exchange of proof texts. No-one ever wins except the people who think we're insane for believing ...

Very true. I didn't intend to start initially... something got the better of my better judgement...

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I am glad that the OP is at least thinking about it, rather than doing what everyone else does, or (hopefully) just doing what their church says. Goodness knows we need people to think more, not less.

Thanks :j:beer::T

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

There are times when I'd have loved the chance to 'keep the sabbath': to have a day off from the endless round of nappies, feeding the family, washing up, doing the laundry, to allow space just to think about my faith. Especially as I was fairly regularly doing all that on my own because DH was elsewhere, leading a service or preaching. But I think the OP is making a false dichotomy between 'work' and 'employment': what I do in my 'employment' is done as selfless service to my colleagues and those we're offering a service to; what I do for my family is (mostly) done as selfless service (but sometimes a little grumpily); next month when I go to speak at a local church (and possibly preach) to publicise the charity I work for that too will be done as selfless service.

Mum? lol.
Does sound rather familiar from growing up in places :rotfl:
'Work' and 'Employment' aren't seperate and distinct, nor are they wholly the same. Especially considering the multitude of meanings, uses and understandings of the word 'work'. There's a lot of personal feeling as far as this goes, and my personal feeling and belief is that as I'm not working in an industry that could in any way be construed as 'vital' or 'emergency' I should do whatever I can to avoid, or minimise working on Sundays.

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Actually, some of what I type on MSE is also selfless service, although I won't pretend I don't enjoy it!

Helping people is fun.

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Well, I guess the way forward is for the OP to see what hours are expected. If they include regular Sundays, then it's back to job-hunting. And at future interviews where Sunday working might be expected, formal or informal, get it on the record from the start.

I was expecting to have a formal interview, not just to be suddenly welcomed aboard... that's what threw me.

Errata

I was expecting to have a formal interview, not just to be suddenly welcomed aboard... that's what threw me.

So talk to the employer along the lines of you hadn't realised, they hadn't realised, and how can this difficulty be negotiated and sorted out. The sooner the better, becuase that will give them the opportunity to find someone else quickly if they need to.

Savvy_Sue

And one suggestion, whenever you are working, Sunday or Monday, IMO the best possible witness to both staff and customers is to work wholeheartedly, as if you really WANT to be there, rather than giving off that "I'd rather be anyplace than here" vibe which is so common these days ... and that's especially important when you WOULD rather be someplace else, like church!

Naf

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And one suggestion, whenever you are working, Sunday or Monday, IMO the best possible witness to both staff and customers is to work wholeheartedly, as if you really WANT to be there, rather than giving off that "I'd rather be anyplace than here" vibe which is so common these days ... and that's especially important when you WOULD rather be someplace else, like church!

Oh, always. I genuinely enjoy work; I can only think of one job I didn't really enjoy, fortunately I was working with a friend so it was still quite good. I enjoy being at work as much as I do at church, so its no problem.

starchild1972

I am not Christian but found that when working I was lumped with Sunday working so that the "devout" (who went to church yes, but also went shopping after the service, damned hypocrite) could attend services. I got rather peeved with this as DH was working Mon-Fri and I was working 5/7 and we rarely spent time together. I was also rota'd on for Easter etc which really annoyed because I was told by my colleague that my family life was not as important as the work colleague's relationship with God and whereas she had recourse in law, I didn't. I left after a year of working every Sunday (missing very important family events too as I wasn't allowed holidays that taken on a Sunday for "business reasons" i.e. other employee would not work it) as I decided that my family life and my marriage was far more important than HER relationship with God!

sue149

you can put it in writing to not work sundays but it can take up to 3 months to sort out