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Liz Harris
Member - 4 posts
I agree that just doing things to accomodate football fans could be seen as discriminatory but it seems that only football attracts enough staff interest for such facilities to be made available. We will do the same for EURO 2004 as for the World Cup. England games only were allowed to be watched on a company television in the main office (most staff remained at their desks and worked just looking up from time to time as the commentary excited them). Others who worked in other offices could listen to the radio (again company property) if they wished. For games outside of the core working day staff could start late/leave early as appropriate if they wished and if their work commitments permitted. Once the building was open to the public staff who have to be accessible were expected to be although the radio/television playing quietly in a corner was accepted provided that work/the customer took highest priority. If England had progressed to the final (on a Sunday) it was planned to show the match on the big screens in the church for staff and congregation alike to watch - unfortunately this did not happen.
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Liz Harris
Member - 4 posts
1) Many UK businesses close at Easter & Christmas because days around these Christian Festivals are designated Statutory/Bank Holidays in the UK. However, increasingly businesses open on these days and, as in my organisation, staff are allowed to take time off in lieu of working on those days. This seems to be good practice as is the practice of being sensitive to an employee's religion and allowing them to take days off on their own special festivals. Asking a person's religious affiliation is regarded in most cases as contrary to equal opportunities (even in church organisations) unless they would not be able to perform a significant part of their job function without having a specific religious affiliation.
2) Questions about an employee's sexual orientation would seem to verge on discriminatory unless it is in line with policies relationg to Child Protection or the protection of Vulnerable Adults and the employees concerned would have significant contact with them. I have had occasion in an interview situation to have to prevent a fellow panel member from asking the candidate about their sexual orientation as it would be contrary to equal opportunities/discrimination policies. It should also be remembered that not all homosexuals are paedophiles and that some heterosexuals are - sexual orientation does not indicate a tendency to abuse (or not) or even that the individual is an adult survivor of abuse.
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Liz Harris
Member - 4 posts
I am not a lawyer but I would think that the public swimming pool is a good analogy. As a public building with, hopefully, large numbers of people present I would have expected that a suitably qualified First Aider or medical professional would be on duty so I think it quite reasonable to advise this. If not legally, morally, the church would hold the duty of care for the person being baptised - I always say that Health & Safety within the church should be seen as a matter of the Christian duty of care for ones fellow humans rather than just strict application of the law.
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