Job forces me to attend church

[TheGamingAtheist]

Well hello fellow free thinking lovely people! I am currently starting my 2nd 16 hour work day today and it's Sunday....lovely! I am a caregiver for a mental healthcare company. I assist 1 patient inside her home from 6AM until 10PM on Saturday and Sunday. She is a holy roller. This has been an issue for quite some time and I am now needing to vent or seek advice on this matter.

Every Sunday, my patient will get up at 9:00 AM and prepare for her sermon. She dresses up in her finest of clothing, grabs her bible and says "All right Morghan, I am ready when you are." Of course, this is my job to assist her in her needs but it's come down to where her attending church is now something that is enforced even on to me! My patient has alone time...which is hard for our patients to get when they're dealing with a mental health issue.

About a month ago, my location had a "house meeting." Which meant I was there, obviously, as well as 2 other staff members, the house manager and the direct supervisor. I was the ONLY Atheist. The other 2 staff members have told me plenty of times that I was going to hell and how unfortunate it is that I am the way I am. Needless to say, that didn't roll over well and since then I have been a total bitch towards them for their ignorant remarks. I have never made a rude comment towards them for worshipping clouds! Anyways, my direct supervisor is as fucking jesus crazy as they come! She won't even allow my patient the right to go to the casino because it is against the lord and will jeopardize my patients admittance into the pearly gates above. (Fucking lunatic!)

So, during this meeting the team lead mentioned that my patients guardian would like to enforce a new policy in our location that the Sunday morning staff ensures our patient is attending services as well as volunteering at the church to assist with money collections (what a joke), t-shirt sales, fundraisers,..etc..etc..etc... At first, I was all for it. I am pretty close with my patient and I want the best for her and I know that being involved in something gives her a sense of placement and enjoyment. Being mentally and physically handicapped, that is hard to come by, or so I am assuming! Well, now it has become a MAJOR issue! I am now expected to participate in everything when I take my patient with me. I am expected to assist in these fundraisers and I am expected to take my patient up to the pew and help her with reading the bible and all sorts of religion bullshit! I was NEVER told this when I was hired in to this location!

Well, we had another meeting and I raised a HUGE issue about it to my supervisor. I informed her that I would appreciate if we could have a CHIO staff take my patient to church. What was I told?! "Well, Morghan, if this is such an issue then we can always find you another shift at another location." This pissed me off. They would rather take out a staff member that has been with this patient for MONTHS, a staff member that this patient actually listens to and is doing so well with, instead of trying to work with me? So, I called human resources. *Side note, NOONE in management here, likes me. Mainly because I am not afraid of them and tell them how mentally retarded THEY are!* Anyways, I was told the same fucking thing...EXCEPT there was a bit of a twist.

The location I am currently working at is my 3rd transfer in this company. Why have I transferred so many times? The first location they put me in...everyone who worked that house was drama. Always talking shit about this person and that person. One of the patients were physically aggressive, another had MULTIPLE health issues and consistently kept pulling her gtube out of her stomach, and the other one just kept pissing all over herself and would laugh about it. I had an anxiety attack with all of that shit going on so I requested to be removed.

The second transfer was because I was put into an all male location. Four male patients and 1 older male staff, who needless to say, had a pretty disgusting reputation! I gave it a whirl and low and behold...this staff member started hitting on me (after he met my fiance who was then his direct supervisor), and one of the patients became VERY physically aggressive. I ended up working over 20 hours at that location at times because the upper management kept firing people and would not work at the location they forced me in to. So, again, I fought for a transfer and so did my fiance after what had happened with this moron hitting on me and shit!

This is now my third and I am finally on a schedule to where I am off 5 days a week and only work 8 days a month....but I do a whole ton of shit through the week so it really isn't a BREAK. Anyways...I am here and due to it being my 3rd..they cannot transfer me out. They also do not have any openings for weekends at any other locations. So I am stuck, which is fine. So, again, I asked HR if they can help me out with getting a CHIO staff member to take this patient to church. Yet, another slap to the face. "Morghan, unfortunately I cannot delegate that responsibility to another staff member when you are there to perform your job duties. You did ask for your transfer out of a behavioural environment so unfortunately I cannot help you."

I became a little detective and went through our policy. I also hopped online and there are MANY, MANY sources I am about to slam into their faces about how religion CANNOT be enforced inside of a workplace and if such were to happen I can actually sue this company. Trust me, I intend to do so FOR MANY reasons.

Anyways, this is my rant. Welcome to working for a piece of shit health care company!

The advice I am seeking: what the hell can I do while I am there? I have made it VERY obvious to these people that I am not one of them nor do I wish to be. They have spoken very poorly of atheists and actually of "their neighboors" (those of other skin colors). They're very rude and uneducated people so I mind my own business while there but sometimes I just feel like I am being a total bitch towards people because I am pissed off about being there.

[Confused Ape]

You said you're close to your patient and she gets a lot of benefit out of going to church and joining in all the activities. I know it must be a pain for you but would it help if you just thought of it all as part of patient care which you're getting paid for?

Doing fundraising and helping your patient to read her Bible etc. sounds a lot less bother than the other two placements you had.

[ignoramus]

This is where you need to flex your diplomacy muscles.
No one needs to know you are an atheist! (It's a way of thinking about the universe, not a book to rule every action of your life)
Pretend that religion is just an extension of the mental illness these patients have.
Ultimately you need to do what is best for Morghan. Not Morghan's ego!

I would go with the flow (as long as it is legal by law) and go through the motions ...it's work. Learn to not take it personally, put your ego on a chain and just smile.
You're not religious anyway, so what's the threat? Bored with no job satisfaction? That's life. Only you can decide if it's worth it for you.

What other options do you have in your field of work? More of an admin role?

[Dystopia]

Just be polite and let those people enjoy religion as they see fit.

[TheGamingAtheist]

This is where you need to flex your diplomacy muscles.
No one needs to know you are an atheist! (It's a way of thinking about the universe, not a book to rule every action of your life)
Pretend that religion is just an extension of the mental illness these patients have.
Ultimately you need to do what is best for Morghan. Not Morghan's ego!

I would go with the flow (as long as it is legal by law) and go through the motions ...it's work. Learn to not take it personally, put your ego on a chain and just smile.
You're not religious anyway, so what's the threat? Bored with no job satisfaction? That's life. Only you can decide if it's worth it for you.

What other options do you have in your field of work? More of an admin role?

I'm working on moving out of this field. It's not necessarily a field I enjoy or see fit for myself in general. I've thought about taking up an administration role but, as I stated, those that work in the office and myself, we don't get along. There's more issues within this company that entirely surpass any personal issues. There are a lot of illegal doings that I have to be a part of in order to maintain my paychecks but I Also have no issues pointing out the flaws within the company. They don't take lightly to criticism, especially when 20+ employees demand a meeting and voice the issues. They threaten your Job security so I definitely don't think it'd be a good idea for me to work in the same office as them. Lol plus, someone already took that role so it's no longer an open position. It would require me to do the same things as I am though.

I do appreciate the advice. I guess I'm just a bit bitter about a LOT of things in this company and this has totally topped it off.

[Elskidor]

Almost puked a bit. That's a horror story I'm glad not to be living.

You need a job that fits you better...

[TheGamingAtheist]

Just be polite and let those people enjoy religion as they see fit.

In which I most definitely do. I sit in the back on my phone reading a book minding my own business. The only time I've ever interrupted anything in their sermon is when they said "all atheists are ignorant of our beliefs, so we must teach them why they're damned and pray for their souls to be saved. "

I didn't necessarily interrupt it in a rude way but I did ask the preacher, "are you aware that I'm an atheist?"

She said, "wow, I wouldn't have guessed , you're such a nice person and very admirable for your work."

I then smiled at her and said, "I appreciate that compliment. I do just want to make you aware of this though. I'm not ignorant of Christianity, the majority of atheists were born and raised in to Christian homes so we are very educated on this subject. Not to be rude but I sit here every weekend, gaining more knowledge of Christianity and my views stay the same."

She patted my back and since then, she's shut her mouth about atheists.

---

Almost puked a bit. That's a horror story I'm glad not to be living.

You need a job that fits you better...

Definitely working on it. The job in itself isn't fun either. Lol. If only you knew what I do every day I'm here.

I've been applying for many other positions.

---

You said you're close to your patient and she gets a lot of benefit out of going to church and joining in all the activities. I know it must be a pain for you but would it help if you just thought of it all as part of patient care which you're getting paid for?

Doing fundraising and helping your patient to read her Bible etc. sounds a lot less bother than the other two placements you had.

The issues I have with participating in these activities myself are this:
My patient is very capable of doing these things on her own. It's her guardian that is trying to force some kind of "agreement" that we help her so she doesn't feel left out...yet our goal for our patients are to teach them how to be independent. The people she attendance church with during the sermon are people she's known her entire life so they help her in these situations. Her sister just wants me to be involved because she knows I'm not a Christian. My patient is mildly mentally retarded. She is still very smart. She read books thicker than Harry Potter books. Lol she's Also independent enough to wheel herself in her wheel chair everywhere she wants to go and she can count money VERY VERY well. Lol. So it isn't a dependence issue, it's them trying to force my involvement when she's suppose to be utilizing her independent skills.

One of her goals from her behavioral specialist literally reads:

*CLIENTS NAME* will volunteer at church. She will participate within the church functions and do so independently. She may ask for minor assistance.

[Cato]

Here's hoping you take this constructively...

Often when people are unable to get along with anybody, some of the problem is a little closer to home.

I can see taking the patient to church, but think the extra curricular fund raising activities to be a bit much. Although, compared to your two previous positions this should be a walk in the park even if not optimum. A vast majoirty of us must put up with bullshit at work, including managing personality conflicts.

[Dystopia]

In which I most definitely do. I sit in the back on my phone reading a book minding my own business. The only time I've ever interrupted anything in their sermon is when they said "all atheists are ignorant of our beliefs, so we must teach them why they're damned and pray for their souls to be saved. "

I didn't necessarily interrupt it in a rude way but I did ask the preacher, "are you aware that I'm an atheist?"

She said, "wow, I wouldn't have guessed , you're such a nice person and very admirable for your work."

Such ignorance. Perhaps you could simply be silent and avoid reading books in your phone, some people can take that as a disrespect, it's like a teacher in a class when the student is using his cell phone. I usually don't get into a lot of arguments with theists in my real life, but when they come insulting atheists I am not polite, I insult them equally and make them feel ashamed.

I then smiled at her and said, "I appreciate that compliment. I do just want to make you aware of this though. I'm not ignorant of Christianity, the majority of atheists were born and raised in to Christian homes so we are very educated on this subject. Not to be rude but I sit here every weekend, gaining more knowledge of Christianity and my views stay the same."

Reason why many are atheists.

[TheGamingAtheist]

Here's hoping you take this constructively...

Often when people are unable to get along with anybody, some of the problem is a little closer to home.

I can see taking the patient to church, but think the extra curricular fund raising activities to be a bit much. Although, compared to your two previous positions this should be a walk in the park even if not optimum. A vast majoirty of us must put up with bullshit at work, including managing personality conflicts.

Taken constructively no worries.

I have always struggled with this kind of thing. Anyone who has ever attempted to force me to participate, or even attend, in church functions...see the bitch side of me. Lol. It's sad to say because I know I should be adult enough to just say to hell with it but, I truly think it's just the simple fact that I'm the only one that is forced to do these things. My supervisor has enforced her own religious views on to my patient and has taken my patients rights away simply because my supervisor doesn't want to allow her to do these things, such as the casino situation.

So, it just really strikes a nerve when another religious person tries to justify their reasoning for restricting my patient to have fun but yet when I voice my opinion she just kind of says "deal with it."

MEh. I just try to use it as a learning experience. I definitely don't know EVERYTHING about Christianity so maybe that's the most humble way for me to be?

Yeah, when it comes to these extracurricular activities, I'm not doing them...regardless of what they try to implement. I refuse and have refused to sign paperwork that has anything That's related to church or anything affiliated with it.

---

In which I most definitely do. I sit in the back on my phone reading a book minding my own business. The only time I've ever interrupted anything in their sermon is when they said "all atheists are ignorant of our beliefs, so we must teach them why they're damned and pray for their souls to be saved. "

I didn't necessarily interrupt it in a rude way but I did ask the preacher, "are you aware that I'm an atheist?"

She said, "wow, I wouldn't have guessed , you're such a nice person and very admirable for your work."

Such ignorance. Perhaps you could simply be silent and avoid reading books in your phone, some people can take that as a disrespect, it's like a teacher in a class when the student is using his cell phone. I usually don't get into a lot of arguments with theists in my real life, but when they come insulting atheists I am not polite, I insult them equally and make them feel ashamed.

I then smiled at her and said, "I appreciate that compliment. I do just want to make you aware of this though. I'm not ignorant of Christianity, the majority of atheists were born and raised in to Christian homes so we are very educated on this subject. Not to be rude but I sit here every weekend, gaining more knowledge of Christianity and my views stay the same."

Reason why many are atheists.

If I were to just sit there and not occupy myself with my phone or a book, I would more than likely end up going off on the preacher for the amount of ignorant lies she tells these people. I've Bern taking my patient there for 6 months or so now, I think they're use to me not participating. And I wear an atheist bracelet everywhere. No, this isn't intentionally worn specifically on Sunday, it's worn every day and I refuse to remove it.

I've Also explained to the preacher that I am solely there due to my client. They're aware.

As far as them feeling disrespected, I'm not worried about it. I literally section myself off from the rest of the sermon while minding my own business. I'm as nice and as polite as I can possibly be while I am there.