Muslim staff can discriminate based on their religious beliefs.

[haele]

253. If Marks & Spencer had a specified Halal area and separate check-out - I wouldn't have an issue.

Last edited Mon Dec 23, 2013, 02:04 PM - Edit history (2)

On edit - subsequent reading indicates that it was one particular store and manager's action, but my opinion still stands.

If there is a concern about religious sensibilities, there should be a segregated specialty foods area where you could purchase the Kosher or Halal (or, heck - Vegan) items there - or you could pick them up and take it to the regular counter, or do most of your shopping and then check out at the specialty area knowing that there could be a devout/orthodox staff member who might not ring up your bacon or beer at that register if you brought those items there.

If we're talking the regular general cash registers that everyone can go to, no. No "I can't ring that up". These are are not specialty registers or specialty sections.

I worked a register for two months during a lean period between contracts with a rent-mate of mine at the large family bodega she worked at; I hate smoking and am allergic to the smoke itself, but I was still expected to ring up people's nasty habits as I was forced to endure the reek of stale cigarettes all over them when I checked them out. Just as I was expected to help people with the live shellfish the store kept in the meat section - including fishing the damn things out of the murky tank. I have a deathly allergy to shellfish. What do grocery staff who might work at the bakery do if they are deathly allergic to peanuts?

They have food-handler's gloves and aprons at pretty much every store I've been to. That can keep a religious adherent from "touching" the taboo item - or someone who is allergic from item that they are allergic to - and still do their job.

This is a stupidly ridiculous policy. If the store was that concerned about their orthodox staff members and customers, a more efficient policy would be to set up a separate area with a register in the store if there is a significant base with a religious or cultural needs.
Or indicate outright - before any customer would walk in - that the store was Halal, and did not have an alcohol license and would not carry pork. None of this playing roulette with cashiers or section staff or managers.

As for other comments concerning underage clerks and age specific sale items, this is a legal issue rather than a preference issue. In many states, you're not allowed to have an underaged clerk or manager in the store or at the register alone without a legal-aged adult if you serve (or sell) age specific items like alcohol.
Most stores I've shopped out - including many IGAs, local family grocers and the commisary - have a seperate counter for sale of alcohol, cigerette, and adult magazine/items purchases.

If they don't have a seperate counter, the clerk will either be 21 years old, or have someone standing by who will actually handle the age-specific items and bag them while the underage clerk still rings the item up. Our favorite local family grocer (in business since the 1960's, 1500 sq ft with 2 registers and a full butcher) down the street does this; there are six kids/grandkids (one of them a cute 12-year-old who is doing her homework when she's not ringing people up) who often work the register, and either Grandpa, or one of the parents, aunts or uncles are up there with the kids or in the crow's nest office at the back of the counter. The kids know they're not to touch the alcohol or the tobacco items, and don't, no matter how busy the store or long the line - if they see a regular coming up who is going to be asking for ciggies, they're calling for an adult before the customer reaches the register. The longest I've ever waited there was two/three minutes at most.

In a legal age situation, the customer is not asked to go to a different register or leave the line - or go to another store - and the store is not liable for a discrimination suit.

Haele