No one would ask a public school teacher to work on Christmas. It's a holiday.
Except if you're a Pagan, the holiday is December 21, and we're always still in school on that day.
For me, it gets worse.
As a Pagan, I need to take off work on Samhain.
Now, if I was a Pagan student, I would get the day off with no penalties. Teachers don't get that opportunity. If I want to celebrate the most important holy day on my yearly calendar, I have to lose either a sick day or a personal day.
So, what's the big deal about calling out sick on Halloween? Well, I did a little bit of math. For my first eight years of teaching, I am in a pool where I will be compensated $70 per day for unused sick or personal days. I have taken off Samhain (either one or two days, or one-and-a-half days) every year since I started teaching. Eight years, $70 per year ... That's $560. Throw in Imbolc, which I also take off every year, and the pot jumps to $1120.
Where's that war on Christianity that the moron Sessions is crowing about?
This looks to me like discrimination. Trust me, I'm watching our political events very closely, because I am ready to sue for that entire $1120 if the Christians push too hard on, say, something ridiculous like prayer in school.
Just for the record, I would be very willing and able to come to school on Christmas and teach a full day.
3 comments:
the one jewish person and the one hindu person at my small office take a vacation day for their religious holidays. I have no religion, so I use my vacation days for days off work. that sux that you can't take your religious holidays off. :(
Yes, if things were equitable, everyone would get, say, four unspecified days per year that could be taken off without penalty for spiritual reasons (or for those with no religion, for any reason they feel like).
We have paid time off that we can take without giving a reason.
Love,
Janie
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