Posted on Jan 1, 2016
How do you handle the cultural shock of transitioning from military service to civilian employment?
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http://www.bizpacreview.com/2015/12/31/more-than-100-muslim-employees-fired-after-walkout-in-demand-of-prayer-time-289752
What these Muslim employees attempted to do isn't so very different from what I've seen former military members do when they enter the civilian workforce. The same issue that got these Muslims fired can get you fired: Culture Shock.
I well remember the young men who served in my commands dreaming wistfully about what they were going to do when they got back to "the real world". Sadly, their expectations were sorely out of whack with reality. The civilian world has uniforms, SOP's, routines, and a hierarchy just as does the military. However, they're all different, very different, and former military members would do well to lie low and scope out the situation before they plunge in and try to change it.
How do they try to change it? Funny but they typically try to reinvent their civilian workplace into a verisimilitude of the military one they just left (in many cases the very same one they were recently complaining about). Again, can you see the similarities with what these Muslims attempted to do?
What these Muslim employees attempted to do isn't so very different from what I've seen former military members do when they enter the civilian workforce. The same issue that got these Muslims fired can get you fired: Culture Shock.
I well remember the young men who served in my commands dreaming wistfully about what they were going to do when they got back to "the real world". Sadly, their expectations were sorely out of whack with reality. The civilian world has uniforms, SOP's, routines, and a hierarchy just as does the military. However, they're all different, very different, and former military members would do well to lie low and scope out the situation before they plunge in and try to change it.
How do they try to change it? Funny but they typically try to reinvent their civilian workplace into a verisimilitude of the military one they just left (in many cases the very same one they were recently complaining about). Again, can you see the similarities with what these Muslims attempted to do?
Transition
Civilians
Culture
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 13
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My wife and I were talking about this yesterday.
Here was what we got from a different article.
200 employees, 2nd shift (afternoon shift from our understanding). Official policy (in effect for several years) on Prayer breaks had not changed. However that does not mean that "Unofficial" policy had not.
First shift showed up. No problems. Second shift no showed. 3 days in a row. Company had tried to work with them in regards to the issue to make reasonable accommodations.
What "I believe" happened. Second shift would take them through Sunset, which is a variable time for Prayer. This would make the "reasonable accommodation" significantly more difficult to accommodate. If I have my prayer times correct Sunrise (variable, but before 1st shift, no impact), Mid-morning (not variable), Noon (not variable), Mid-Afternoon (not variable, pre second shift), Sunset (Variable). This created a "Burden" on one shift, but not on the others, hence the issue.
Now, that doesn't necessarily explain the walk out.
What "I think" happened was that Policy had been enforced in one way up until a specific point, and then began being enforced more "strictly" or just "differently" at another. What Home Office sees is not necessarily what Branch is reporting.
But... culture shock is a hell of a thing. My biggest thing was having "multiple bosses" who didn't report to each other. A "non-hierarchical" system. Drove me batty. Absolutely hated it. Decided I didn't want to work for that company and found a company that had clear delineation.
Here was what we got from a different article.
200 employees, 2nd shift (afternoon shift from our understanding). Official policy (in effect for several years) on Prayer breaks had not changed. However that does not mean that "Unofficial" policy had not.
First shift showed up. No problems. Second shift no showed. 3 days in a row. Company had tried to work with them in regards to the issue to make reasonable accommodations.
What "I believe" happened. Second shift would take them through Sunset, which is a variable time for Prayer. This would make the "reasonable accommodation" significantly more difficult to accommodate. If I have my prayer times correct Sunrise (variable, but before 1st shift, no impact), Mid-morning (not variable), Noon (not variable), Mid-Afternoon (not variable, pre second shift), Sunset (Variable). This created a "Burden" on one shift, but not on the others, hence the issue.
Now, that doesn't necessarily explain the walk out.
What "I think" happened was that Policy had been enforced in one way up until a specific point, and then began being enforced more "strictly" or just "differently" at another. What Home Office sees is not necessarily what Branch is reporting.
But... culture shock is a hell of a thing. My biggest thing was having "multiple bosses" who didn't report to each other. A "non-hierarchical" system. Drove me batty. Absolutely hated it. Decided I didn't want to work for that company and found a company that had clear delineation.
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Typically there's a "reasonable accommodation" aspect when it comes to time off for religious needs. I believe an issue can come up wherein you have a continual production line and the number of employees demanding the same time off during the day (a few times perhaps) cannot be accommodated in a reasonable manner. 150 and likely more at once isn't workable in those work situations. I've had Muslim employees who wanted prayer time who were glad to extend their work day to get their job done while taking time out for prayer. That was an office environment where you typically could pick up where you left off.
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CPT Jack Durish
In regards to the story: While I am not necessarily defending the Muslims demanding prayer time, they were allowed it at one time yet the policy was reversed. However, when they arranged their "No call, no show, walkout" they did deserve to be fired.
I do agree that it was a bit of a culture shock when I first got out of the military. Though it was somewhat softened since I was working for a defense contractor and the contract I worked on was a quasi-military environment.
In regards to the story: While I am not necessarily defending the Muslims demanding prayer time, they were allowed it at one time yet the policy was reversed. However, when they arranged their "No call, no show, walkout" they did deserve to be fired.
I do agree that it was a bit of a culture shock when I first got out of the military. Though it was somewhat softened since I was working for a defense contractor and the contract I worked on was a quasi-military environment.
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