I basically know what I need to do, but I would like your opinion on something. [...]
When I interviewed with this employer this year, I was asked about the schedule I wanted. I told my boss I could not work Sundays (as any shift would take me from the meetings) but I could work any other time, and he offered me the day shift as that's what he needed. He told me I would not have to worry about Sundays. He did not tell me about the projects that would require me to work some Sundays. But I'm ok with giving him some Sundays.
Shortly after getting hired, I had to work two consecutive Sundays because we have projects on the weekends at times and they will not stand up to the customer to get this changed. We do not have the manpower to have a non-negotiable Sunday project day, but that's another story.
I had to miss a meeting two Sundays ago because of this, and I have public talk July 17th that was scheduled on May 25th, and my work schedule is out, and I have to work Sunday July 10th, and Sunday July 17th (the date of my talk).
There is no way I'm missing my talk. It was scheduled over a month ago.
The advice I would need is exactly how to approach him about this. He told me I would not have to worry about Sundays, but since I've been hired, I've missed about 6 meetings this year on Sunday, and now I'm being asked to give up two more, including my talk, in back-to-back weeks.
Of course, this is upsetting and nonsense because I believe I was lied to. He knew the weekend project day, and did not tell me about it.
Any advice would be appreciated, and I am going to Jehovah about this.JW Advisor: I commend you for seeking advice on this matter in spite of knowing what you need to do. (Proverbs 15:22) It shows humility. I can understand this situation, and did it myself once. But you should understand that the fact that you compromised after telling him you needed Sundays off gives him ammunition to use against you. (Daniel 6:4-5) So if you want to stand your ground now, it could be seen as grounds for termination and you would have to accept the consequences. However, if there is paperwork establishing that you needed Sundays off, you may have legal recourse, though the fact that you compromised weakens your case.
The fact is, if we want to represent Jehovah well, we need to be people of our word. (James 5:12) If you say you need Sundays off, never compromise, stand your ground. Don't accept their attempts at finagling your meetings. Even if you have personal issues that cause you to miss meetings, your stand in the sight of people in the world should not change or be able to be compromised. (Proverbs 29:25)
The fact is, you have a dishonest employer who is seeking to test your commitment to your ideals and your willingness to compromise your beliefs in order to put the company first. He wants to see you as a company man, not realizing that to be a good company man, one needs to be a good servant of Jehovah. Without that, you cannot have the other. (Luke 16:10-13) They hired you knowing that you did not want to work Sundays and explained to them why. If I were you, I would emphasize that to them when they try to say, "But you have worked Sundays." Also emphasize that you felt pressured and threatened by the potential of losing your job but that you are ready to correct the situation.
But before any of that, I recommend explaining tactfully that you believe you compromised your principles when you gave up even just one Sunday for work, and that you don't think it provided your employer with confidence in you to be able to represent their company. The company needs people with high standards whom they can rely upon. By compromising your stand for your faith, you showed that the company also could not rely upon you when the chips are down. But now you wish to correct that situation and stand firm and be someone the company can put their trust in for loyalty and steadfastness.
So now, as to how to provide a solution if your boss still needs more, you might be able to negotiate a work-around. (I recommend attempting that before giving a flat-out refusal to work Sundays. Maybe you could choose one other day in the week to put in some extra hours to make up for the hours you miss going to meetings, and maybe come in early or late to put in a couple of hours on Sunday before or after your meetings. But you should make it clear that your service to God comes first. Our standing firm serves as a witness. (Matthew 10:16-18)
Next time, remember that the firmness of your stand marks you as either a faithful Witness or an unfaithful one. But Jehovah is forgiving so long as you make correction to do what's right in this matter from now on. (Acts 3:19)
Jehovah loves you and will help you to succeed. Pray to him about this matter and continue to pray no matter how it goes and he will guide you. I will also pray for you. [Jun 30, 2016, 2:15 pm]
