So, I had an interesting week.
I had starting talking to someone who worked at a private, religious institution about using my past experience for a part time job with them. Everything seemed to be going well and I was asked to fill out an application. The last two pages of this application was a statement of the beliefs followed by this company and yes or no questions about my beliefs. The application then went on to ask about other aspects of my life...being financially responsible, participating in meaningful activities in moderation, not smoking, and not drinking alcohol.
That's right, in order to work here, I was not allowed to drink.
I did speak to another employee about this policy. They told me how some people interpret this rule and are able to get around it, but in my mind, the spirit of this statement was drinking was bad. I respectfully declined to pursue this further.
Now I feel kind of weird about this whole thing. Really, it isn't the whole not drinking thing that I have a problem with, but it is more that I don't think drinking (in moderation) is bad. If they had asked me to give up fast food, well, yeah, I may do that. But this position was in no way my dream job, and I am pretty sure it wouldn't have been all that lucrative. Yeah, maybe I would have signed this form for six figures. It doesn't really bother me that I had to turn it down. Still, I wonder if I was a little hasty. Maybe I should have tried it out and see how I felt about bending the rules. So, I thought I would pose this question to the blog world. Any thoughts?
I wish I knew how to post a poll.
7 comments:
Very interesting! If it makes you feel better, I failed a personality test the first time I applied for a pharm job because it appeared I must be faking my answers because I was "too honest, too good" to possibly be telling the truth!
But anyways, drinking is not bad. Heck, Jesus turned water to wine! Just don't end up like Noah - passed out drunk and naked with his sons taking care of him :)
I think you did the right thing and I admire your integrity.
I'm going to vote "obligatory other" in your poll, because I have NO idea what I would do...
A job that discourages drinking? You get to start over in the working world...you should be looking for the job that offers Friday afternoon happy hours on site. ; ) (Once upon a time, I used to work in a lab that did that at least once a month...in the conference room...oh the days before the NIH/colleges got all serious about how we spent money/time.)
No, I don't think that you were hasty. I think that you are a drunk. LOL, just kidding! I am a firm believer that what you do at home, away from work, is your own business, and not your companies. Now, if yo do something that could reflect bad on your company, say commit murder or drive drunk in a company car, then they have a say so. But after I leave at 5 PM, what I do on my own time is my own business. Good for you.
Interesting. I did some work in Lubbock for a bunch of Baptist folks at the beginning of this year. None of them drank, they all attended the same church and there were pictures of W in the lunch room and front desk area.
My take was a "don't ask don't tell" approach. But in the end it was awkward and my coworkers quit asking where I went out to eat or what I ordered.
I am proud of your convictions and you probably avoided some right wing craziness.
Very interesting.
I don't drink, and I think everyone from college knows this well. I never have, and probably never will.
But I would refuse to sign a contract like that. Why, you may wonder, since I don't drink anyway? Because it's my perrogitive as to whether or not I want to drink, and not for anyone else to decide or judge.
I'm with you with not pursuing the job. If I were desperate for a job or it were 6 figures, I would since it wouldn't inturrupt my life anyway... but I wouldn't otherwise.
we are under a new code of conduct and there are already a few instances under review because a parent(s) called the school board to report teachers "misusing" alcohol during their personal time - not during the school day, not on school grounds, and not a part of an official school function
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