"Oh yay, they just booked a twelve top for tonight," Linda sighs to her new co-worker Ardis as they prepare to start their shift. "Better warm up your voice."
"What do you mean?" the new waitress asked. She had just started at the popular restaurant chain the day before and was still learning.
"It's a birthday party," Linda replied. "The wait staff and bartenders have to sing 'The Birthday Song' for birthday parties."
"Oh no," Ardis' hands flew to her mouth. "I can't do that! I'm Jehovah's Witness and we don't celebrate birthdays."
"Girl, don't tell John that," the experienced server said, shaking her head. "He's real intense about the rules — everybody works, everybody sings."
Discussion
John better get real intense about some other rules too, like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
In any case, Jehovah's Witnesses are not alone in limiting their celebration of some events. It's easy for religious adherants to end up feeling ostracized because they refrain from one celebration or another. A little education goes a long way here.
Managers have an obligation to provide religious accommodation and in this case, it should be easy enough to allow Ardis to tend to someone else's table, whether it's before the party is seated, or temporarily during the singing. Besides, with a good chunk of the staff carrying on so, the customers wouldn't even notice that Ardis is missing from the throng singing loudly at their tableside.
This isn't rocket science and often a small measure of goodwill can meet everyone's needs!
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