Do you think the airline worker should be allowed to wear her religious jewellery to work?

Answer 1

No. Maybe.

What if she's a muslim? Can she wear a burqua? What if she's a satanist? That's a valid religion. Should she be able to wear satanic symbols?

What applies to one religion applies to all. It's easy to assume you mean a chain with a cross, but what if it's a chain with a goat's head with horns? You could make the argument that as long as it is not visible, it can be worn under the clothing - but unless the same rules apply to a Satanist and a Christian and a Muslim, then the door is wide open to lawsuits and trouble.

Answer 2

I think as long as it isn't in your face and is tasteful then yes, after all if a Sikh man wears a turban, a Jewish person wears the skull cap and other religions have their dress codes and no one ever questions those. If it were a huge cross and she was pushing into peoples faces as if they were vampires I could understand the fuss, but she was just wearing it as millions of other people wear jewellery religious or otherwise.

Answer 3

I don't personally mind, but I think that if I ran an airline, I wouldn't really want the staff wearing religious sympbols.

There's something faintly disturbing about boarding an airplane, on which the staff wear crosses, the Star of David. or other religious symbols, and then welcome you with a false smile, like the guards did in the concentration camps.

Answer 4

Yes, within reason. Remember this is nothing to do with jewellery. BBC quote that BA "accepted the cross was not jewellery". It is surely about certain people in the company applying the 'letter of law' instead of applying the 'spirit of the law'.

The cross may well offend many people because it points to Jesus' being the only way to know God and accepted by Him; only then can we properly know ourselves and our God-given purpose.

Answer 5

BA has a long standing 'no visible jewellery' rule. If a religion requires it's member to to display particular items of clothing/jewellery then they are allowed to do so; e.g. turbans. Their argument is that this person's religion does not require her to display a cross so she is simply wearing a piece of jewellery and she was aware of the ruling when she took the post. If she belonged to a Christian sect where it was a requirement there would be no issue.
Personally I don't think that employers should dictate how their employees dress at all but I also think this has been blown out of all proportion

Answer 6

I hate the way morons have built this up into a religious issue. It had nothing to do with religion. It was jewellery. Jewellery is not permitted to be worn on show. The vast majority of customer service jobs have this rule. full stop. stupid cow was just trying to get into the papers and pretend she is some kind of Christian martyr.

Answer 7

Hello,
I'm an atheist and dislike most organised religions BUT I still think this woman should be able to wear her christian cross at work. After all what harm is she doing to anyone wheather the cross is visable or invisable, it should be her right to wear it. Especially if it doesnt get in the way of performing her job.

**This is British Airways employment policy gone mad, its utterly draconian, especially as other BA workers of other faiths are allowed to wear symbols or clothes that reflect their personal beliefs. ( I still respect her right to wear her cross no matter how meaningless it is to me or how silly it might seem to non believers).

**Its precisely these kinds of petty rules and laws that add fire to the extremism of our times, it add's yet more intolerance and paranoia to an already very sensitive atmosphere.

**BA should back down & allow for a more relaxed situation IMO.

IR

Answer 8

The company rules are that jewellery may not be worn with uniform. she was given the opportunity to wear this necklace under her clothes. I think she is just trying to have her fifth teen minutes of fame at her employers expense. She works for a commercial company who do not want to offend other people, this woman is not only offending people of other religions, she is offending people of no religion also.

Answer 9

Yes. It is not offensive. Many people wear crosses for the beautiful design even though they are not Christian so what's the big deal? It actually may make someone feel more secure if they are, for example, Jewish, and they see a Star of David on one of the attendants. There's 100 to 300 people on board so the law of averages says that there wold be just as many people who would feel re-assured as thetre would be who are offended.

Answer 10

Airline is not running on the religion basis,it's a commercial organization,so what are the rules-regulations framed by them employee has to follow it.An Indian Woman wearing a Mangalsutra in her neck at work - because it's an sentimental ornaments.It's not a religious thing.Same way English woman wears a wedding ring or engagement ring.The air line official don't forced you to remove it from your body.