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

what could be more generic than 'Happy Holidays?"

What about Seasons Greetings? :)

should she be allowed to say happy ramaden instead?

What about Seasons Greetings? :)

Works for me.

It doesn't sound like she was a good fit for the job. I doen't see how she was in anyway compromised...but by all means, she should file a lawsuit and sue. I suppose that this better exemplifies the kind of "Christian spirit" she can support. 

you really dont get much secular than the american christmas.
It didnt used to be a buying frenzy.. it used to be festivals.
santa clause? what did he help with jesus birth?
I dont see people gets picts with the baby jesus at the mall
nah i see them getting picts with some mushroom harvester.
Oh look we put an angel on the pagan tree of lights.. that makes it "christmassy"
doesnt really matter jesus was born in march. nah this is a holy day that people shouldnt mess with.

yeah i remember the bible story jesus got a great deal on some franken scence on black friday, he used it to make some cookies for the fat jolly mushroom gather and put it under the pagan tree of lights and bam the crazy msuh room guy gave him a bike. Praise jesus what else did i get.

Having thought about it a little more, this woman has my sympathies.

I think people should leave Merry Christmas alone!

I don't take offense when somebody wishes me a Happy Hanuka or a Happy Quanza and Happy Holidays is just fine too. The real target for all this nonsense is the Federal Holiday Schedule. There are some people who won't rest until Christmas ceases to be a day that we all get off to go spend with family, friends and exchange gifts. My true feelings with regard to that? You can take away my Christmas over my cold dead body!

Anway, what do I think when I say Merry Christmas to somebody? Do I think "Merry Christmas, Christ is born?"

No!

I think "Merry Christmas,( we all get the day off, we get to exchange gifts, make a point of getting romantic, eat some holiday food, and comtemplate being generous to those who are less fortunate)."

This is definitely one of the more annoying culture war battlefronts. It's enough to make me a Bill O'Reilly fan.

There are some people who won't rest until Christmas ceases to be a day that we all get off to go spend with family, friends and exchange gifts.

There are also some people who won't rest until Zor-Blarg, The Mighty, comes down on his Meteor-Chariot to rule us all.  But I'm pretty sure that, just like the people in your example, they're in the extreme minority.

Although I didn't know you needed a day off for those things?  And gifts?  Really?

I think maybe if people want to celebrate Christ, they should, I don't know, go to a church or something.

(PS - I'm not a Christian but I'm not offended by "Merry Christmas", so long as you sincerely mean it and aren't using it as a put-down or something, which, well, has never happened to me.  But from a business standpoint there are people out there in this multi-cultural society who are not Christian, and it doesn't hurt anyone to be sensitive to that.  You know, on the job.  Anyone's welcome to say "Merry Christmas" until their tonsils fall out - on their own dime.)

I forgot to mention.............

Happy Holidays............. :)

satanism or Islam (which are similar in my book)

wow... um... how very narrow-minded, it sort of just invalidated your whole post.

Then you know nothing at all about either Satanism or Islam. You must just group all things which you don't like together for easy dismissal. I'm sure you wouldn't mind if people lumped Christians in with Terrorists... same thing really.

Just as it's her right to not say "Happy holidays" it's also her employer's right to fire her at an at will state for non compliance with corporate policy.

What's good for the goose...

truth- Ya know i'm really glad im not the only one thinking this way. Im bothered by peoples reaction to this. If she had been asked to say "Merry Christmas" and refused, claiming she is not religious and would rather say "Happy Holidays" she would be hailed as a hero for equailty when it comes to religion.( For excersing her right to not belong to one) But, since it is the other way around, and the woman is actually sticking to her religious morals/principles, which is too rare these days, she is labeled as 'unreasonable' How sad, how wrong.

I wouldn't champion them, or give them much sympathy either way.   If you want to make a statement about your beliefs, practice it in everyday life.   Actions speak louder than words.    In this case, she wanted tolerance for her beliefs.   Cool.  She should've extropolated that and made sure and used the appropriate greetings for everyone's faith she spoke to on the phone.

When on the job, she is representing her employer, not her religion.  Her employer has every right to terminate her for not following a corporate policy that in no way infringes upon her rights.

those who practice biblical Christianity do not celebrate Holidays but Christmas only during this season

she wasn't being asked to celebrate them, just to greet others in a manner consistent with wishing them for others in exchange for her pay.  

I'm pretty sure god would forgive her compromising and not using every last word from her mouth to exalt him so long as she's not diminishing him with them.

nah, this whole thing reeks of this woman picking a fight.

hey, isn't it considered un christian to sue others?  I've always been told that.

Christians don't celebrate New Year's?  Really?

Cause that is what is meant by "Happy Holidays" it is combining Christmas and New Year's.

yall woudl call for her head if she said happy ramadan.
anyways happy holidays did not come out as a pc term to include all those religions you hate.
See it is well over 100 years old, before this country got soo diverse as to have 11% of the population beign of different religions.
Happy holy days is a term that was used by Christians to other Christians as just a different greeting. It did not become secular and anti christmas until recently when the 89% majority in this country sudden decided that claimign to always being under atatck was a good way to force things on people.
Just remember we are a christian country after all our pledge of allegiance says under god and our forefathers wouldnt have put it there...right? except yall put it there in the 50s in response to the godless commies.
Yall are plainly making crap up.
happy holidays is not makign anyone support any other religion as it existed int he us long before we had other religions.

You also have to think.. if your religion interfears with your job.. then perhaps you shoudl be fired.
woudl you let a muslim heart doctor stop work during a surgery to pray to mecca?
no yall would freak on the muslim
how is this different?

If you want to make a statement about your beliefs, practice it in everyday life. 

Is going to work not considered a part of everyday life? What is and isn't. You need to be careful limiting where people are allowed to express themselves, or make statements.

 Actions speak louder than words.

Was her refusing to say Happy Holidays not taking action?

Let me see if I understand you correctly cc... you are suggesting that people who don't want to say Merry Christmas (which excludes every other religion's beliefs) is the same as someone who refuses to say Happy Holidays (which includes everyone's)? So basically, who is imposing on who here because it sounds to me like instead of being all-encompassing, she felt like her holiday was the only one that mattered. In her personal life, that's fine, no worries. When she is representing her company in a customer-service capacity with clients who I can assume are racially and religiously diverse, she does what she is told to accomodate everyone or she leaves. Period.

If the shoe was on the other foot, I'd applaud that person because they are trying to include everyone in their holiday spirit, not exclude or "secularize" it, which is a ludicrous defense, by the way.

You folks do realize that if you win your argument that employers can impose any religious rite upon their employees. If you work for a Christian owned or run company a employer will be able to make you take Communion and attend bible studies during the course of your work day as long as they pay you for it. They will be able to have you pray to their god and the same goes for all other religions. I would have no problem with this because I would just not work for an employer that imposed these stipulations but you folks would be the ones out raged that you have to say Jesus is Lord at work and unwilling to quit on your principles you would be the first in line to sue. How hypocritical that all this trouble was made to rid the world of the religious notations of Merry Christmas but since you all prefer Happy Holiday that you brood of vipers would criticize the thing that protects your rights to live as you would like to live. Why should anyone according to your ways be required to recognize the Holiday season. I suppose you all think that we should have to pledge allegiance to the American Flag if our employers tell us to. You are slaves and your minds are imprisoned. I fell sorry for you that your only pleasure in life is to impose your beliefs on others. I am a free man and if you hold me jobless in this country it is you that will ultimately have to answer for it. Be careful what you folks wish for you will probably end up with more than you can handle.

According to this woman, she refused to say it because it would secularize the holiday for her so your whole argument holds no water. And no employer can force their religious beliefs on their employees, but in turn, no employee can force theirs on the employer. Best to leave the religion at home...

Yes, they are absolutely the same thing if the individuals refusing to say the phrase have the same motives in doing so. If you didn't want to say Merry Christmas because you don't celebrate/ support/ or believe in it, have no religion or any other religious reason, thats fine and would be accepted. But why is this woman being criticized so much? When she refused to say Happy Holidays, maybe she didn't want to say it because it would imply that she was celebrating/ supporting holidays that she doesn't believe in religiously. They ARE the same thing.

When she is representing her company in a customer-service capacity with clients who I can assume are racially and religiously diverse, she does what she is told to accomodate everyone or she leaves. Period.

Now, I do somewhat agree with you in the sense that when you are employed by someone, you are expected to follow certain rules to create a sense of conformity at the office.  BUT, and I dont know where you are employed, do you always do EVERYTHING you are told at work? If your boss told you to do something that went against your morals would you do it anyway just because you were told to? The main point im trying to make here is you cant generalize a situation like this. You have to pick your battles, and she picked hers. I applaud her in that sense, for sticking to guns even though it cost her her job.

If the shoe was on the other foot, I'd applaud that person because they are trying to include everyone in their holiday spirit, not exclude or "secularize" it,which is a ludicrous defense, by the way.

You cannot accurately state this if the shoe were on the other foot the individual in question would be trying to include everyone! I could argue that they were trying to seclude those who only celebrate Christmas by refusing to say merry Christmas.

I do want to make the point though, that suing for compensation might not be the best thing to do. But, at least she is not suing for 'emotional damages' or anything like that. That would be over the top and I think we can both agree on that.

Happy Holiday is a religous statement. It is used to make all the religous holidays of this season an ambiguous ideaology. She did not say that Merry Christmas was the only option she said that it is one of the two options. The other is of no violation at all which is to greet as they would throughout the rest of the year. These holidays do not seem very happy here on the News Vine. No one cares that this Lady got fired for a phrase that was designed to take the potency out of any religous observance. The folks on this post have no reverence for anyones religous beleifs. What is wrong with her saying good day, good morning or good afternoon?

You folks do realize that if you win your argument that employers can impose any religious rite upon their employees.

Hey, you let me know when someone forces you to take a job against your will, and we'll talk (although I think your slavery will pretty much trump your "Merry Christmas", in that case).

When she refused to say Happy Holidays, maybe she didn't want to say it because it would imply that she was celebrating/ supporting holidays that she doesn't believe in religiously. They ARE the same thing.

Personally, I don't see how Happy Holidays does any such thing when it includes Christmas and I maintain my position that in a customer service capacity, you cater to the customer, whom you obviously would not presume what religion, or lack-thereof, they subscribe to, so Happy Holidays would fit them all without compromising  or dismissing anyone's beliefs, including her own. So I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree on that point.

BUT, and I dont know where you are employed, do you always do EVERYTHING you are told at work? If your boss told you to do something that went against your morals would you do it anyway just because you were told to?

I have never been put in that position, but then again, I do not work in a customer service capacity. I work in a collegiate setting with medical research. But I will say that I have turned down 2 positions over the years because of my stance against animal testing, so I understand that some things are worth it and some things are just petty. I happen to believe this case is petty and this woman is just trying to impose her belief's on her employers' clients. But that's just my take on it.

You cannot accurately state this if the shoe were on the other foot the individual in question would be trying to include everyone! I could argue that they were trying to seclude those who only celebrate Christmas by refusing to say merry Christmas.

I can indeed state that I would applaud someone's efforts to include everyone. You could argue your point, but it would be baseless since the point of the phrase is to include everyone's holidays in a blanket statement so no one feels secluded.

I do want to make the point though, that suing for compensation might not be the best thing to do. But, at least she is not suing for 'emotional damages' or anything like that. That would be over the top and I think we can both agree on that.

Indeed we can. This suit should be laughed out of court for a number of reasons, not the least of which that in that state, the law is on the employer's side.

Lo you say that you think this is petty but who are you to determine the ideals of pettiness or not. Faith is very important to many people and the reason that they do the things that they do. Would you consider it petty that the only reason I am not a drug addict and a violent racist is because I chose to do the best I can to follow the commandments of the bible? If these ideals keep people from doing harm would you consider it petty then?  

I am curious to what you folks think of the law suits placed by athiest and other religions that refused to say Merry Christmas that started this whole dillema.

Lo you say that you think this is petty but who are you to determine the ideals of pettiness or not.

Me? I'm a nobody, BUT I'm entitled to my opinion, and I never said it was anything but my take on it; if you think differently, that's entirely your right.

Would you consider it petty that the only reason I am not a drug addict and a violent racist is because I chose to do the best I can to follow the commandments of the bible? If these ideals keep people from doing harm would you consider it petty then?

Nope, what I consider petty is filing a lawsuit over something this ridiculous. What I think is petty is someone getting miffed because they wanted to exclude every holiday but their own in a customer service environment and then cry foul when you get let go. When people do good things in their lives based on faith, I think that is wonderful. When people try to use their faith as an excuse to crap on other people's faith, that is petty. Again, if you don't agree with me, no worries, it's my two cents.

As for the racist thing, I'd audit your faith because some of the most racist and bigoted people I've met do it all in the name of faith. Bless you for seeing it the other way around.

I am curious to what you folks think of the law suits placed by athiest and other religions that refused to say Merry Christmas that started this whole dillema.

Please show me a lawsuit of that nature and provide a link please and once I read the complaint, I will tell you exactly what I think. Again, Happy Holidays works for everyone, it is inclusive to all religions and faiths INCLUDING christmas, so what is so wrong with that? I would also like to point out that I am roman catholic, so christmas is indeed my holiday, but I don't agree in excluding others when we live in such a diverse nation.

If it's in an at will state.   Yup.    You could get fired because the day ended in "y"

The sad part is that she cheapens her argument by using it to make a political point. This is more of that Bill O "pseudo-war on Christmas" bull@!$%#. She was more than willing to use a "generic phrase" which would also "secularize" Christmas as much as "Happy Holidays".

She's using religion to cheat the system. That's a sin.

it is too easy to prove Christmas was secularized long ago and you dont see these guys rallyign against black friday. Why do they shop at stores that show santa clause instead of jesus? doesnt that perpetuate the myth that xmas isnt about jesus?
I cry total bs.. cause if thjey were pissed at anythign it would be the complete overuse of the mushroom gatherer

Mars, this has nothing to do with Bill O'Reilly.  Most of us were quite capable before he came along and will continue to live long after he is gone.  Give an opinion if you will but leave the sarcasm outside.  Is this conversation turning in to what is wrong with Christmas or is it to remain what is wrong with this woman who is suing for something ridiculous?

JS,

I didn't bring Bill O as a slam on Conservatives, or Republicans, or Bill O fans, I am referring to the campaign he started a few years ago about this whole BS "War on Christmas" which was started by this very issue of "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holidays" as to what should be said in businesses during the holiday season.Can we have this discussion without you taking pseudo-offense?

The fact is, this woman is filing a frivilous lawsuit simply because she can, and she is using the classic "goes against my religion" BS argument, when she said herself that she agreed to use any other generic phrase (Seasons Greetings, etc etc) instead of this particular one. Why would she choose this one as offensive? Because she has been told that it is offensive by certain media. Either that or she is completely ignorant, or she is making this whole thing up.

Now, go ahead and unwad those panties.

Mars, I refuse to unwad!

I am referring to Bill O as I do get weary of him but it just so happens he has the television show and therefore, he has the ear of people who (God, it irks me) can't think for themselves.  Yes, you know I am a conservative and yes, I agree with you the woman is a nut. But, and there is a but, I am so tired of people using my Christmas cheer as a way to abuse and turn off people who would otherwise be enjoying the spirit of this holiday.

Now, as to the unwadding.....

Joules I have a beef with your comment. You have posted with me on other sites and seen my response in regard to shopping. Not all Christians run out to spend the Almighty piece of worthless dollar. As you have seen in my other posts my wife and I make concerted efforts to shop sweat shop free and American if possible and stay away from Department stores. We do not participate in Gift Exchange and we are not Jehovah's Witness. If you want to open the doors to employers being able to hire or fire for any reason I have no problem with that but understand that if a boss comes in and tells you that you must come into work as a Muslim or become circumcised to work for them do not complain.

I think we agree on this one. I very much enjoy the holiday season, and I do enjoy it because of Christmas. Christmas means something totally different to me than it does to you, I am sure, but we are alike on this subject. The whole "War on Christmas" thing pisses me off, because it places opposing sides on the issue, and there should be none. Christmas is a holiday for all Americans, if they choose it to be. It can be about the birth of Christ, or helping the unfortunate, or giving gifts to loved ones, or getting gifts, or tradition, fertility, or just as an excuse to party and/or celebrate in the winter. Nobody can claim Christmas as only theirs.

Yah, from the linked article:

"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."

That's from the company president.  He declined to state exactly why she was fired.

If she was fired for something other than refusing to say Happy Holiday I say the company should fight to the bone to make sure she does not get a penny.

because it is made up fake outrage.
if they wre serious they woudl ask people not to shop and give gifts of Christmas
that isnt traditional.
they would ask us to celebrate christs birth and then go out and help the poor.
cause that is traditional.

LOL, the idea of these Christians (the same ones that think megachurches would be A-OK with Jesus) telliing us to help the poor is priceless, Joules.

And I agree, it is simply another arm of the right wing "poor me, I'm a victim" nonsense.

Be careful with your generalizations JonesGirl, I am a Christian and I personally am not a fan of megachurches.

I know not all Christians = megachurches, but it seems that, by and large, those complaining of a war on Christmas generally belong to the megachurch brand of the religion.

Jones Girl I also as a Christian am not a fan of Mega Churches. I would encourage you to make those statements against those churches much the way I have been taught. If you approach the issue with concern for those Churches turning away from the doctrines that lead to action we see in the Apostles and Jesus of healing and feeding the poor you may find it easier to get your point accross. I have found just like everything else that people do what they are taught and most people in America are not taught how to turn to scripture for instruction by reason and intellect. I go to a church with 120 members far from a mega church and of course when you compare the numbers you will hear many more from the mega emergent church movement speaking just because of pure numbers. To make your argument you should refer to the smaller churches and what they think of Christmas. If you look up pastors like John McCarthur or Alister Begg who pastor over Large Churches you will also find that not all large churches can be classified with the ideals of the Mega Church.

I have a huge issue with the war on Christmas but I am not complaining. We do what we can but in the end when it comes to the true Christian I am as my brothers and sisters are prepared to sacrafice our lives for the Gospel and Christ name sake. There is no suffering too great to bear for the good that Christ places in his sheep. I know very many Christians that are ex cons and crooks and liars and cheaters that would have even the greatest of opposition thankful for Christs work in these people just because to face them at thier worst may have ment your health or even your life. This is the effective change that Christ places in his sheep. "For while we were his enemy he was still our friend."

You know if she is lying then there is no argument. If she was fired for anything other than refusing to say happy holidays then there is no issue. If she was fired for refusing to say happy holidays though then the company was in the wrong. Just as a company can no longer force a person to say Merry Christmas they have no right to force an employee to recognize any other holiday. By the way Christmas is an inclusive holiday because it is the celebration of a religion that is supposed to represent good will to the world.

If she was fired for refusing to say happy holidays though then the company was in the wrong.

I disagree, on two counts.  Firstly, if Florida is an at-will state, they can fire her for any reason they choose (or no reason at all), pretty much.  Secondly, if part of her job is to say a particular greeting, and she does not say it, then she is not doing her job, and so has no room to complaint.

If this were my business I would have let her use the non-seasonal greeting she asked to use.  But it's not.

And try saying "Christmas is an inclusive holiday" to someone on the wrong end of the Crusades.  Or, you know, the Holocaust.  Just sayin'.

From a Florida attorney's website:

Florida employment law is based on the general rule that any employee may be discharged by the employer, or may leave the job, for any reason whatsoever, or for no reason.  In other words, an employer in Florida may hire and fire any employee at any time for any reason.  It doesn’t matter if there is no reason, a bad reason, a good reason, or just the result of a whimsical decision.  Likewise, the employee is free to quit a job at any time without any reason and without any notice.  THERE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ANY REASON FOR FIRING OR FOR QUITTING.  This is referred to in the law as the “Employment at Will” doctrine.

http://www.akers-boswell.com/yl/atwill.html

Yep Rainkiss,

I've been a Florida Employer for 25 years......if I don't like your pet turtle's name, I can fire you..........if I don't like what you do after work, I can fire you............But I don't.......I only hire licensed and insured subcontractor's.....who have to uphold their contract, workmanship and the schedule or not get paid...much simpler...... :)

Ah, that'd be nice.  I'm in payroll in a different at-will state... but my university has (count 'em) five different unions, and a union contract can (but doesn't always) provide extra protections.

Which is kind of funny, because all of the so-called traditions in Kwanzaa reflect very little of the history of Africans brought here as slaves.

And Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny represent what, exactly?  Yule logs?  Stockings?  You know we could go on practically forever, here...

Chasing, you are right, the Easter bunny is a bit confusing for me, and I have not looked up its origins.  The various traditions surrounding Christmas, religious and otherwise, are easily traceable throughout history.  My point was that Kwanzaa uses a lot of Swahili words (and words that sound Swahili), has "traditions" that represent a socialist collectivism that did not (does not) exist in tribal Africa, rituals using corn that was native to Mexico, not Africa, etc... while pretending to be celebrating the roots of the African slaves that were brought here.  The majority of the slaves came from the west of Africa.  Swahili is from east Africa.

pretending to be celebrating the roots

Pretending?  No.  My African American friends pretend nothing.  They celebrate.  My African American family members do not - but simply because they don't celebrate Kwanzaa (just as some family members do not celebrate Christmas).  Regardless of whether you think gathering together a grouping of traditions is valid or not means nothing, so long as it means something to them.  After all, the only difference separating these traditions from faux-Christian ones (bunnies laying eggs?  seriously?) is time.  And, nuclear holocaust or whatnot notwithstanding, we've plenty of that.  Just because it's new doesn't make it any less valid.  Live and let live.  After all, those traditions you claim are "easily traceable throughout history" often can be traced to pre-Christian times, and, regardless, had to start somewhere.  If Newsvine had been around then, I'm sure someone would have spent time trying to debunk those then, too, and for the very same reasons.  And frankly I just don't get it - we're talking about a celebration, here.  Not shooting someone through the head.  Right?

My bad, you're correct.   It is Kwanza, not Ramadan.   Sometimes I really need to reread what I'm posting.  

Chasing,  sorry I wasn't very clear.  I didn't mean that Arican-Americans are pretending to celebrate, and I think that everyone should celebrate their history.  I was trying to say that Dr. Karenga made up a bunch of stuff to celebrate a "history" for African-Americans that really does not reflect the part of Africa their ancestors are from, and some of the principles that are celebrated are more Marxist  than what actually goes on in Africa, historically and today.

 I was trying to say that Dr. Karenga made up a bunch of stuff to celebrate a "history" for African-Americans that really does not reflect the part of Africa their ancestors are from, and some of the principles that are celebrated are more Marxist than what actually goes on in Africa, historically and today.

I agree; it was (and is) symbolism - just as every Church uses - the differences being Kwanzaa isn't a religious holiday.  So I say live and let live; it harms no-one.  *shrug* 

It isn't as though we don't teach our kids BS "history" all the time.  "Thanksgiving"?  A joke.  And that's just the start of it.

PS - Marxian thought is grossly misunderstood - you might want to revisit that statement.  But I assure you when my neighbors celebrate Kwanzaa, Marx is furthest from their thoughts.  Also I might point out that everything I learned about fascism I learned from The Smurfs.  Really.

So it goes.

Okay, well when someone works on that specific day, they can say Merry Christmas. But last time I checked, there were a few holidays in the month of December, not just Christmas.

Last time I checked the national holiday we celebrate on Dcember 25 is officially called "Christmas.

December 25th is apparently <a href="http://www.opm.gov/Operating_Status_Schedules/fedhol/2008.asp">called</a> "Christmas" by the Federal government, sure, but only December 25th.  Seems she was fired well before then (as it hasn't happened yet).

Wikipedia also helpfully notes the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holidays_of_the_United_States">following</a>:

The holiday season in the winter traditionally runs between Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day, which encompasses Black Friday, the Winter solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve.

Careful though, by Presidential Proclamation, apparently Halloween is also a recognized Federal observance.  I don't know how kindly this lady would take to being asked to say "Happy Halloween" on the phone - and god help her if she hands out candy.

At the end of the day, she had a job to do.  If she is unwilling to do it, well, she knew where the door was, I'm sure, without having to be told.

At the end of the day, she had a job to do.  If she is unwilling to do it, well, she knew where the door was, I'm sure, without having to be told.

The story said nothing about her performance on the job, except she refused to answer the phone in the manner she was asked to. Its not like she quit working, she still answered the phone, still did everything else that was expected of her.

The story said nothing about her performance on the job, except she refused to answer the phone in the manner she was asked to.

Uhm.  Refusing to answer the phone in the manner she was required to says everything about her performance on the job.  I strongly suspect there's more to it than that, however - but even if there weren't, it would have been enough.  Answering the phone?  Part of her job.  Not doing it per requirements?  No job for her.

Well, in my opinoin, the fact that she refused to answer the phone in the manner she was asked to says something about her morals/principles more so than her job performance. Like I said earlier, she was still answering the phone. It's not like she had a sit-in in around the water cooler to protest the greeting. The story makes no other mention of how well she was performing on the job, except that she refused to use the greeting while she was answering the phone. Perhaps, we will just have to agree to disagree? :)

The story makes no other mention of how well she was performing on the job, except that she refused to use the greeting while she was answering the phone.

Except that a company official, while declining to state why she was fired (because that can get you sued, nowadays), DID state that refusing to say "Happy Holidays" was not why she was fired.

 Like I said earlier, she was still answering the phone.

Yeah, pardon the Texan, but if she picked up the phone and shouted "what do you want, @!$%#??", according to you, she would still be "answering the phone".  But clearly it wouldn't (I would hope) be a part of her job description.

And if it were?  She's free to find another job.  I don't see her leg shackled to the desk, or anything.  So no.  She had a job.  She didn't do it to expectation.  She was fired.

What else did she expect?

(Though I still suspect there was more to it than that....)

I'm suing you for saying it's crazy.

....

I'm kidding.   I certainly agree lawsuits have gotten out of hand.   But then again, we've had lawsuits since the beginning of this country.   The Puritans started it.

And there you have it...now you've heard the rest of the story. Merry Christmas "Real Deal", if in fact you are the real deal. I hope it works out for you. In this evil "politically correct" world we live in...you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. There is no way to "include" one belief set without "excluding" another. The issue that appears to be elephant in the room and most neglected and unseen is accepting and embracing diversity of thought. It would appear as though there is a lot of intolerance out there which goes hand in hand with our divided and "Politically Correct" nation. 

I would be interested in knowing exactly what it was you were asked to say. If you were asked to say Happy Holidays, how is that going to offensive to anyone? There are many holidays between Thanksgiving and New Years. It's one of the reasons it's called the Holiday Season.

I don't know how much more generic you can get then Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings.

The main point is that you were asked to do your job in a specific way. Unless they were asking to to break the law, you have an obligation to your employer to work in accordance to their policies.

It has nothing to do with political correctness. It has to do with business practices and company policy.

Hopefully, you don't mean me Joey. :)