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Show Sunday, Nuvcutbcr 7, I Page. J VW, THE DAiLY HtRALii, ( www.heraldextra.coml, Provo, Ltah Workplace greeting makes religion a job issue - By GREGORY WEAVER Indianapolis Star and Newt INDIANAPOLIS It was Liz Anderson's habit to wish everyone a blessed day until her bosses ordered her to stop her plained to USFs Indianapolis boss about warehouse Anderson's greeting on June 9, according to a written reprimand issued by her supervisors. On the same day, USF supervisor Chuck Tolley instructed Anderson to stop using unnecessary religious or political phrases in business correspondence, the reprimand says. Twice in the following two weeks, Anderson says, she continued to use the phrases "have a blessed day" or "have a blessed week" in the weekly shipping reports she emailed to Microsoft and others. Again, LaRussa objected, Anderson says. And on June 23, she received a written reprimand that said if she continued to send religious greetings in her correspondence with Microsoft she would face disciplinary action, up to and including termination. "Microsoft is very adamant in the fact that all documents be presented in a professional manner and additional religious, personal and political statements are not welcomed," the written reprimand says. Microsoft, the Washington-base- "There's nothing that religious about what I say. It's just my way of saying, 'have a nice day.' " Liz Anderson spreading brand of sunshine. USF of Logistics Indianapolis reprimanded the Yiffice worker this summer for continuing to offer the blessing after she was repeatedly instructed to knock it oft She's stopped now because she knows another transgression could result in more severe punishment, including dismissal. It says so right in the (written reprimand she received pom her bosses, who took the faction after a client at software fciant Microsoft Corp. objected to Anderson s religious greeting. faith-tinge- d They say these things are Anderson's case is an "absurd sithappening because a federal law uation" that appears to offer little adopted in 1964 gives employers grounds for disciplinary action. "It seems to me that most peogreat leeway in denying religious practices that might cause ple receiving a courteous greeta company "undue hardship." ing like that are going io think So groups as diverse as the very highly of the company it National Council of Churches, came from," Coats said. "I guess the Jewish the alternative would be to tell American Committee and the National them to have a miserable day." Sikh Center are supporting leg-- ' Doug Christensen, president islation to restore protections and CEO of Illinois-baseUSF for religious freedom at work. Logistics, said not everyone "What is attempting to be feels comfortable receiving addressed here are things as such greetings. He defended his simple as a worker bowing his company, 6aying it had a longhead and saying a simple standing policy of prohibiting prayer in the lunch room or religious or political speech in SO ANDERSON reading Scripture during their business correspondence. . - is comniv. s "We are dealing with a varibreak time," said former U.S. fing, but not happily. I don t see what's wrong Sen. Dan Coats, an Indiana ety of people, and we don't want with it," said Anderson,; a Republican who helped lead to be in the position of offendjdevout Christian and member the fight for the Religious ing anyone," he said. In this instance, though, it fcf Phillips Temple CME Church Workplace Freedom Act during his final two years in office. wasn't just any client who spotn Indianapolis. It didn't pass, but Sen. John ted the "blessed day" email "There's nothing that religious is continuing greeting from Anderson. It was fcbout what I say. It's just my way Kerry, computer software giant, the fight this year. Even if it an employee of Microsoft Corp. confirmed it has a policy forbidbf saying, Tiave a nice day.' " ding its computer systems from one of America's richest comAnderson's is becomes law, he said, he doubts dilemma ncreasinzlv more common in the legislation would address panies, which uses USF being used as political or religious forums. However, it issued Bhe American workplace, where Anderson's situation. Logistics to coordinate its shipa statement saying that it did not He said is and needs. the ping proposal even innocuous religious pracwarehousing aimed primarily at requiring tices can cause a ruckus. The employee egregious Mark find Anderson's enough to constitute an offense. com Since 1992, the number of employers to provide time off LaRussa of Washington for the religious observances of (religious discrimination comwhen it filed annually with the workers of all faiths plaints is feasible. The profinancially federal Equal Employment vision would apply to compaCommission has ppportunity 29 percent, to nies with 15 or more workers. ricreased nearly However, the proposal also expand workplace Religious groups cite instances would your which Muslim women were accommodations for the "reliwhile offering of experience irohibited from wearing their gious practices"' employees. client-centere- d financial planning Advocates that to head say sligious provision work, coverings Ciaiii ihc and ews were lorbidden to wear could apply to religious garb or armulkes and Christians were maybe even a routine religious power of a irced to work Christmas Day expression such as "God bless firm. your own reven though other employees had you" or "Have a blessed day." a high-potenti- al E'olunteered to fill in for them. Coats said, Regardless, structure.. fee, commission Sar d d "0 J,ppy , entrepreneurial services. support promotional Control national earnings through bonus o2-year-o- POINT AND CLICK Continued from CI 7 How it works tivized' Internet services." New idea? Maybe. But ,a apparently surfers are having no problem warming up to it. Within days of launching its Web site in September, more than 7,000 users signed up to There are other incentives for using PointClick as your online launchpad. Sure, PointClick will become PointClick members. This could catch on. give you money just for surfing, essentially paying you to window shop. But if you decide to V-- U purchase an item from a fcA PointClick affiliate, the compar e will double your money. 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Logitech Wheel Mouse, Small Amplified Speakers, 56K Modem, Windows 98se... Mtttt ctgCf netil; opportunities iivoilciblc If surfing with PointClick. You can either have PointClick cut you a check for $10, or you can spend $20 online. "Businesses love this model because it gives an automatic ' discount to their products and services," explained Rookstool. "You might spend the $20 ... or you might buy a $100 item figuring it only cost you $80. We're trying to provide a for merchants and surfers." The money to write these checks comes from the affiliates themselves. "They're paying us to deliver traffic to their Web sites," says Wiseman. "Obviously, the affiliates want surfers to spend money as well." So PointClick turn surfers into buyers by giving them money. According to Rookstool, PointClick pays 35 percent of its revenue to surfers just for browsing. 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For example, .' critically ill or injured children are brought to IHC network hospitals for our Reciprocal marketing ' While getting paid to surf die Web may seem like a radical concept, Rookstool and Wiseman are convinced that their way of doing business is ushering in the next generation of Internet services. They've even coined a ' term: Reciprocal marketing. "From a user's perspective, t, renowned trauma care. Nationally recognized in the quality of health care, is developing thousands of ways to continually improve the level ' 1HC( of care at our facilities. We're currently conducting clinical studies to benefit children wjth asthma, rheumatic fever and genetic birds defects, to name just a'few., All of which gives us peace of mind knowing our families will be the Internet is already in its third generation," Wiseman explained. In the early 1990s, the user, paid for everything. Internet access, email, Web hosting, every service came at a price. Than, with providers like Hotmail and Juno, services were suddenly free as long as the user could tolerate the accompanying deluge of advertisements, We believe that Lreciprociil marketing will drive this new generation of incen- - taken care of, and makes us glad to call this place home. TV wri.lhc.coffl Id INTERMOUNTAIN .'- - r Healthcare - Cecters, hespltali aad healtk plana oerklag Ufetter ler yee ..j J ftn- - a, oar. .., niarir'. m- - smnir n MB,waaaas.ajemaeJ.a-- s 1 T |
