Limits to Proselytizing for Jesus

 

Aurora Pro Services in Greensboro, offering HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing services and repairs, has settled with two former employees who were punished and fired for refusing to attend company prayer sessions, and not just any kind of prayer sessions. Pretty aggressively evangelistic services (and if you've never attended one, believe me, it can get uncomfortable like prickly heat). One of the employees who sued had declared himself an atheist but was nevertheless asked point-blank to lead a group prayer. Saying "no," especially when Jehovah is involved, creates acid.

That plaintiff alleged that the religious meetings came to last 45 minutes and the other plaintiff said they were becoming "cult-like." 

The owner of Aurora Pro Services told [the 1st plaintiff] “he did not have to believe in God, and he did not have to like the prayer meetings, but he had to participate” before the worker refused to attend the meetings altogether and was fired over it in the fall of 2020.... (Julia Marnin)

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company on behalf of the fired employees, and the company avoided trial by paying out a settlement of $50,000 (mainly back wages), divided between the two employees (EEOC news release).