M&S have dropped a clanger

OnLY_WaY_MeffiN · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:26

TheBigCheese said:
Please tell me how PC and limp wristedness has affected you personally, I'd love to hear how you've been wronged.

Well I could go on and on, but I will give you one example. I commute to work on a motorbike I stopped for fuel and went inside with my helmet on to make payment. The lady on the checkout said would you mind removing your helmet for security reasons. I said sorry and removed it as requested. Then a Muslim in full kit walks in with just her eyes showing and she was allowed to pay for her fuel without issue, just because she believes in an evil book.

It is islamification of the UK. :mad:

android guy · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:27

Why not just give this country to the Muslims & have done with it. We are not far off as it is.

J1mmy · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:29

What a strange and infuriating decision by M&S. Every other food retailer has at least applied a degree of common sense and compassion on the issue. I hope they get some serious backlash for this.

cypto · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:29

OnLY_WaY_MeffiN said:
Well I could go on and on, but I will give you one example. I commute to work on a motorbike I stopped for fuel and went inside with my helmet on to make payment. The lady on the checkout said would you mind removing your helmet for security reasons. I said sorry and removed it as requested. Then a Muslim in full kit walks in with just her eyes showing and she was allowed to pay for her fuel without issue, just because she believes in an evil book.

It is islamification of the UK.

Can't tell you how many times that have drove me up the wall. I mean it's not a problem removing my helmet but the fact it's one rule for one and one for another is ludicrous anything could be hiding behind that letter box.

Narj · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:30

Flippin' heck, It's almost 2014, I don't know why businesses would cave in to any religious demands, no matter which faith to be honest. If you don't like handling (even packaged) pork or alcohol, go work somewhere else?

Glaucus · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:32

Can someone clarify the anti discrimination laws.
Are religious beliefs sanctioned more than any beliefs.

And anyone have MS side and what they would do with someone non religious beliefs if they asked for special treatment.

Fuzz · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:33

TheBigCheese said:
They would have to deal with it, hence why I said about implied favoritism.

I would like to hear what M&S has to say before anyone else.

Interestingly they replied to a tweet by @Gman1212 a little while ago who asked them about it, simply saying something along the lines of "We respect each employee and...something something", (it was the usual fluff) I forget the exact wording now because they've deleted it.

Facebook awash with the absurdity of it already...

There is still a reply or two up there

M&S said:
Providing our customers with a high level of customer service is our priority. We recognise that some of our employees practice religions that restrict food or drink they can handle, or mean they cannot work at certain times. M&S promotes an inclusive environment, free from discrimination and so, where specific requests are made, we always make reasonable adjustments to accommodate them, but this is not at the detriment of our service. We have a comprehensive religion and belief policy in place for any of our employees that have religious requirements. We deal with requests on a case by case basis in line with our policy.

cypto · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:34

Then again what about Catholics? can they opt out of handling condoms? It would make sense in M&S's eyes.

greywolf · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:35

TheBigCheese said:
Please tell me how PC and limp wristedness has affected you personally, I'd love to hear how you've been wronged.

Its at a country wide level though isn't it?

Due to limp wristed policies mainly involving immigration we now have a housing shortage, health care under strain, school shortage, benefits costing a fortune and massive unemployment.

Begbie · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:37

Is this not discrimination in itself??

This world confuses me....

Anox · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:38

It is indeed silly, they are not exactly handling the goods in direct contact with such as, only processing a business transaction between the customer and the company. They are employed to mediate the transaction, not directly and supposedly taking the item from their own personal inventory to sell. In that case they have every right to refuse the sale of it if it was their own item to be sold.

Again with the christian doctor example, It is unjust to refuse treatment on religious grounds, they are recoginised as a professional medical body and what they represent, religion is regardless, as they have the duty of care to do the service they pledged to do.

This can apply in the same context, they have been employed to mediate a transaction on any item in the store's inventory, regardless of religion, as it is a duty provided by the company to do so. If you cant sell a customer an item on religious grounds, then you shouldn't have the job,

Or just put up with it because it is in a professional environment, and it's not your item to claim so.

Skillmister · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:38

cypto said:
Can't tell you how many times that have drove me up the wall. I mean it's not a problem removing my helmet but the fact it's one rule for one and one for another is ludicrous anything could be hiding behind that letter box.

flol

Begbie said:
Is this not discrimination in itself??

Of course, but because it's from xyz towards abc it isn't.

TheBigCheese · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:39

OnLY_WaY_MeffiN said:
Well I could go on and on, but I will give you one example. I commute to work on a motorbike I stopped for fuel and went inside with my helmet on to make payment. The lady on the checkout said would you mind removing your helmet for security reasons. I said sorry and removed it as requested. Then a Muslim in full kit walks in with just her eyes showing and she was allowed to pay for her fuel without issue, just because she believes in an evil book.

It is islamification of the UK.

Ah yes, that is true, it's one rule for one and one for the other, those are the sort of examples that cause divisions and there should be a way around that.

It's a big stretch to go from banks not wanting to appear racially intolerant to islamification though!

Fuzz said:
Facebook awash with the absurdity of it already...

Ah, I hadn't though of that! (I don't go near Facebook as a rule).

Narj · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:40

To be honest if I was told to wait for another till because of this in M&S, I'd just dump the basket on the side, tell them to get stuffed and walk out.

Fenris · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:40

Private company, they can do whatever the **** they want.

In the same way any store has the right to refuse you service as long as it isn't discriminatory, they don't HAVE to sell you anything.

Yes I agree it's a slightly retarded policy but firstly I doubt most Muslims would actually do this and secondly I doubt they would just say swap tills with a colleague.

Jono8 · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:40

Who says the customer in question was going to consume the pork and port? Maybe they were going to make a bit of artwork out of it.

J1mmy · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:40

OnLY_WaY_MeffiN said:
Well I could go on and on, but I will give you one example. I commute to work on a motorbike I stopped for fuel and went inside with my helmet on to make payment. The lady on the checkout said would you mind removing your helmet for security reasons. I said sorry and removed it as requested. Then a Muslim in full kit walks in with just her eyes showing and she was allowed to pay for her fuel without issue, just because she believes in an evil book.

It is islamification of the UK.

This has also happened to me. Except they came over the forecourt tannoy system telling me to remove my lid. Yet next to me was a people carrier filling up with 3 females wearing face viels. I felt very embarrassed and bemused by it all.

Spook187 · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:41

So much for multicultural society working eh :rolleyes:

Skillmister · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:43

So M&S are you now going to allow Christians the right not to work on Sunday???

Is this factual that a Muslim employee can refuse to sell me alcohol? If so can I refuse to be served by a Muslim?

Mmmmh.... I need a bottle of wine for Xmas day. Should I go to M&S where there will be separate lines depending on the religion of the person at the till and what you are buying?

Can we find any more ways to divide our society? How about separate queues for women? After all, a Muslim man might be offended by having to serve a woman. Maybe all female customers should be made to put on a robe when they enter so that they are fully covered up, just like they do at mosques.

Or maybe i'll just go to Sainsbury's...

This isn't just stupidity. It's M&S stupidity.

Why are you allowing your muslim staff to refuse to serve customers to pork products and alcohol? Nobody is asking them to consume the product, just ring it up on a till. Are our products so offensive to them that they cannot bear to even touch the wrapping?

M&S, My family are strict Christians, why do you not care about my religion and close your store on a Sunday???!!!!!!!

Epic fail M & S. I would like to know if Christians can refuse to work on Sundays, Jewish people on Friday late night and Saturday?
What about all the New Zealand lamb you sell, isn't that Halal? So can non Muslims refuse to sell that too? Absolutely insane.

arknor · 22 Dec 2013 at 14:44

What is the big deal?

obvious muslims work at my local Iceland , they don't have any issue serving people buying alcohol or pork.......

If people don't want to serve products based o0n religious beliefs then they are clearly not fit for the job~!

but it's only a minority of Muslims anyway