If I was to drop all modern Conveniences and become Amish would my work have the right to fire me?

Question

There's nowhere in my contract that says I can't become Amish. I'd like to work with no email/phones/fashionable clothes.

Answer 1

Yes. They have a right to fire you. Your right to employment only means that they can't not hire you because of your religion IF you have all of the necessary qualifications. If, for instance, your job was as a telephone salesman, it wouldn't be religious discrimination to not hire an Amish person who won't use phones, because the use of phones (ability, acceptance of use, etc.) is a requirement/qualification for the job. You wouldn't meet the qualifications, so it wouldn't matter what your religion is.

Answer 2

My in-laws were Amish and my mother was Mennonite. They are very interesting religions.

Many Amish have outside work. They can own woodworking shops, restaurants, retail stores, or they may work in factories or offices. They are hard workers with good ethics. The restrictions in most communities (and these vary from one another) are for home use. They may use a computer or telephone for work purposes--while at work--but not for entertainment.

Perhaps you would be interested in learning about these sects. This page at Wiki explains more (the section on technology is 6.1):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish
I'm sure that a Google search would turn up more. I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to handle modern conveniences while at work and I doubt if a company would fire you for dressing modestly.

I know this question was just in fun, but I don't think that you know much about the Amish peoples that you're talking about.

Answer 3

I would say you have a great lawsuit on your hands, until the lawyers demolish the Amish framework, that is. They have destroyed the Christian framework, so maybe the Amish are next.

I would say that no employer has the right to bother the religion that an employee follows, but that hasn't bothered them from making people work a Sunday or other observed holiday before.

If you would like to not be bothered at home, then don't answer the phone. Leave it for them until Monday when you are getting paid to deal with it, either that, or hire someone who is more than willing to deal with problems on the weekends......people want a good job, so doing what you do when you aren't there adds to the economy, yes??

Answer 4

Well you see in order to truly understand the Amish you need to do some lenghtly research. I have barely scratched the surface on learning about learning about this sect but from what I have learned, their beliefs go back 500 years ago even before Luther and the Protestant reformation. In the late 1400s a group known as the Ana-Baptist made great strides to stay separated from the world around them. They were criticized by the Catholics because the Ana-Baptist went against Catholic teachings and were even tortured and killed. This further increased their dislike of the world around them. The Ana-Baptist spawned into smaller groups like the group the Mennonites and later the Amish formed their own Christian societies in Europe "separated from the world" just like the Bible states. The problem with that is that the Bible (especially the Greek languages used in the New Testament) uses metaphors and figures of speech and the Ana-Baptist failed to portray meanings. To make a long story short. The Amish are what you call "Ultra-literalism". They feel they are following the Bible to the letter by separating themselves from the world. To them worldly material possessions and modern necessities prevent them from fully worshiping God. Is this the wrong way to think? Maybe, maybe not. I say there are FAR WORSE things to worry about than a group of people isolated from modern society with no electricity or cell phones. Is it necessary to live the way they do? I say no but I don't make the rules. As far as boworrowing things like power tools and such but not owning them...well maybe those are the "Hypocritical Amish". Who knows.

Answer 5

I am an Amish man. I am breaking many rules of my crazy religion by using a computer at home. In fact if brother Jebediah could see me he would swear violently at me in german and then molest his second cousin.

The answer to your question is simple. As Amish men we are unable to use electronic items outside of work, but at work we have free run of all the electronics we can get our hands on. So in short becoming Amish is definitely not the answer to your dilemma.

Perhaps you could form some anti-Amish religion. Although you would need your own country...perhaps Danny Wallace could help. Let me know how it all pans out. I could defintely be coverted!

Answer 6

If your work needs you to use email phones and and modern conveniences then yea they can fire you because you can't do the work, you can't work at an Internet point and refuse to touch a computer or phone. If you work on a farm there shouldn't be a problem.

Answer 7

No, they can't fire you, but you will most likely have to quit your job and become a true Amish. That means working on the farm and all and living as they do.

Answer 8

I myself have dreamed of a simplier life. My only answer is, if an email/phone/fashionable clothing are important to perform the job you do then they may have grounds to terminate you.

However you could always throw in the 'ol "it's against my religion" card.

I found your question interesting and I'm sorry that I don't have a better answer.

Answer 9

You mean, you'd like to work without receiving email (the chain letter kind - as in, send this to 7 people in 7 seconds and your wish will come true at 12:12) or annoying phone calls from bosses and co-workers asking you to do things?

*laughs* Wouldn't we all!

Answer 10

if your can't use the tools required to fulfill the duties indicated in your job description, then you can't do the job.

You're using the net now...how un-Ahmish of you :D