Woman Claims She Was Fired for Refusing to Say 'Happy Holidays'

[Sister Iroz]

A Florida woman says she was fired from her job for refusing to comply with a policy requiring employees to say "Happy Holidays" to callers — but the company's president claims her story is "absolutely false."


http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/Special2bme/1_61_thomas_tonia_happyholidays.jpg

Tonia Thomas says she was terminated two weeks ago from her job at Counts Oakes Resort Properties in Panama City after balking at the rule because it went against her religion. She is suing for lost wages, she said.

Thomas offered to use a generic greeting or say "Merry Christmas" to callers instead, but that offer was denied by company President Andy Phillips, according to the Liberty Counsel — the Christian-based legal group representing her.

"She said, 'That goes against my religious beliefs; I’m participating in secularizing Christmas,'" Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mathew Staver told FOXNews.com. "She asked him for an accommodation ... and he refused."

Thomas, 35, said she doesn't like using the generic greetings at Christmastime and explained that to her former employer.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,471744,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crime

I don't see anything wrong with saying Happy Holidays, because that covers the New Year as well.

[Lizard]

I think what really happened is that she told a client something along the lines of "Happy holidays, you worthless self-involved cunt!"

[RaVen Blackehart]

I think what really happened is that she told a client something along the lines of "Happy holidays, you worthless self-involved cunt!"

Oh, the temptation.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

From the link:

"I will go on the record as saying Miss Thomas was not terminated for not saying 'Merry Christmas,'" Phillips told FOXNews.com. "A lot of the information that’s been disseminated is absolutely false. It’s definitely a very distorted version of what actually happened."
[...]
The incident blew up when Phillips called the police, according to Thomas. Though she wasn't arrested, she said the company president told her as she left, "We’re going to have a Merry Christmas here, Tonia — are you going to have a Merry Christmas now that you don’t have a job?"
[...]
"The way everything was handled from beginning to end was callous and cold-hearted and vindictive," she said. "I want my dignity back. I want an apology. It was so embarrassing."She should be embarassed. She brought this all on herself. And as for "vindictive", she's one to talk. The lawsuit is nothing more than vindictive.

Also:

"We have a situation with a disgruntled employee who was terminated for insubordination and gross misconduct. She was not terminated and I want to make that very clear, she was not terminated for saying Merry Christmas," Phillips said.

http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/36671229.html

If you're behaving as such that your employer calls the cops, you probably need firing.

As for her "Christian values" that prohibit her from saying "Happy Holidays", she should reevaluate them. Seems she can act un-Christian in every other area but that. She's a woman scorned and money grubbing.

She says "Our Father" when convenient and acts like an orphan the rest of the time.

[petrina]

if she was an athiest or hindu or agnostic or jewish and they wanted her to say "Merry Christmas", then she may have something. but the fact that they wanted to keep religion out of their phone message while still celebrating the season... i think they are legally right. it will be interesting to see what the courts say.

[Rockin Ma]

I'm thinking she's just defiant and lost her job for it. No-one wants to lose their job now, so she'd like to take a shot at a lawsuit for some cash.

My son and I watched this show called American Dad and he kinda went nuts over the Happy Holidays being said to him instead of Merry Christmas so all week til Christmas when it was said to us my son would say Happy Holidays back and I would say Merry Christmas. Everytime he would say "mom, don't they might not celebrate Christmas" I was just doing it to make him laugh not for religious reasons, but I always got a Merry Christmas from that person after anyway.

[Gidget]

You know, I will be the first to bitch about the generic "Happy Holidays" greeting. But if your employer wants you to say "Happy Holidays" on the phone, then that's what you do. You're representing your company's opinions and beliefs when you're on the job, not your own. And if you are the type of person who absolutely cannot tolerate that, then you need to find another job with an employer whose beliefs more closely match your own.

[Eagles Mom]

I think what really happened is that she told a client something along the lines of "Happy holidays, you worthless self-involved cunt!"

Wait, I'm not allowed to say that?

[DarkPrincess]

Time to hit monster and hope no one asks for references.

[Pete Bondurant]

One must always obey the order of one's employer. This is sacrosanct.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

An employer can fire you for ANY reason (including no reason or even unfair ones) as long is it is not an illegal reason.

[flawed_existence]

Living dead center of the Bible Belt, I was wished a "Merry Christmas" approximately one trillion times this year. Every single time, I replied with, "I'm not a Christian, but thank you anyway." Yes, it irritated me to constantly be exhorted to enjoy someone else's holiday, but I think what is really so annoying about it is that the whole ritual is so goddamned mindless. When people say "Merry Christmas" to complete strangers, they are not sharing joy in the miracle of Christ's virgin birth which paved the way for Christianity and the salvation of the souls of Mankind. They're just fucking chirping away like a goddamned cricket. It makes me want to beat my head into a wall!

I'm really not a Christian, but I do take my spiritual beliefs very seriously. I live them every moment of every day and when I fail to live up to what I believe in, I make amends and redouble my vigilance. You WON'T find me brainlessly wishing others, "Merry Winter Solstice". I rarely discuss my beliefs, and never, never trivialize them with cliches.

So if you work for a company that wants my business, live your beliefs and display them through your example. NOT by advertising them as though being a "Christian auto mechanic" or "Christian plumber" is in some way a recommendation. So, I guess it's safe to say the Tonia Thomas needn't apply for a job with me any time soon.....