Readers Respond: Working on Sunday

An article about a lawsuit over religious discrimination and Sunday hours led to the following reader letters: 

“If I am an applicant seeking a job from a business that is open seven days a week, and I firmly believe that working on Sunday or Saturday would conflict with my religious beliefs I have two options:

“1. Apply elsewhere. This is America. You get to choose where you want to apply for a job. Apply at a workplace that is open Monday through Friday.

“2. Be upfront to the selecting manager that you are not available on Saturday (for Sabbath) or on Sunday.  The employer can then decide if your schedule will fit into the current pool of employees. 

“This is similar to working around a college student’s school schedule. It isn’t personal or religious bias, it is simply what makes you a better applicant than the next person. The applicant might shine in the interview, have all of the criteria you are looking for and the Sunday’s off might not matter. However if two people are similar in qualifications, the availability factor will come into play and the individual has chosen to limit his or her qualifications for the job."

— Paul Rodriguez 

Hayward So You Can Build

Santa Maria, Calif. 

"If at the hiring, the candidate is told that Sunday work is expected, I see no problem for the retailer. They have to be upfront with it, and they may have to have them sign a statement for further protection.

“If the candidate states he/she cannot work on Sundays, well guess what, you tell them the application will be kept on file.

“On a personal note, I do believe all retail stores should close on Sunday so we may, if we want, attend the church of our choice.

“Just think how much gas could be saved by that one day.”

— Name withheld