Q: As a department chair, I recognize that teachers need to take time off for different religious holidays. But one teacher, let’s call her Sasha, recently took three days off for a one-day religious holiday. That irked me for a couple reasons. First, Sasha disproportionately burdened her colleagues with coverage responsibilities because, as she knows, it’s near impossible to get substitutes these days. Second, she lied, and that deception erodes my ability to trust her, and for her colleagues to trust her. One teacher was particularly annoyed because she observes the same holiday and only took one day off. I want to say something to the teacher, but I don’t want to sound bigoted. Sasha can worship as she wishes, but she’s also part of a department and team. How can I convey my frustration without sounding like I have a problem with her religion?
A: Presumably, your staff gets a set number of personal days off and can use them as they see fit. You’re annoyed that Sasha took three days off for a one-day holiday, but it sounds like your frustration relates more to how her absence impacted the other teachers in the department. As a starting point, I’d review your school district’s policies around leave. For instance, do you have a policy that states that teachers must get a supervisor’s approval before taking multiple days off in a row?
It’s important to understand employment law, too. While there’s no federal law requiring employers to give employees days off for religious holidays, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion. They must “reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause more than a minimal burden on the operations of the employer’s business.” Some examples of modifications, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, include flexible scheduling, voluntary shift substitutions or swaps, and adopting flexible leave and scheduling policies.
Which brings me back to your question. Try not to jump to conclusions. You’re assuming that Sasha was trying to be deceptive. It’s possible that she built in time for travel, or that she had something personal going on and didn’t want to disclose the details. Or perhaps she wasn’t trying to protect her privacy but found it easier to lump everything into the “religious holiday” bucket. Regardless, she doesn’t have to tell you the reason. And what would rehashing it now accomplish? Instead, be proactive going forward. If teachers aren’t already doing so, ask them to request time off in advance so you have time to work out a plan together. If that policy is already in place and you (or an administrator) approved Sasha’s days off, that was the time to share your concerns – not about the disparity between the length of the leave and the length of the holiday, but about the burden her absence would place on others. As for the teacher who observes the same holiday and believed that Sasha was gaming the system, let her speak for herself. It will land differently coming from a colleague.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phyllis L. Fagell
Phyllis L. Fagell is the school counselor at Landon School in Washington, D.C., a therapist at the Chrysalis Group in Bethesda, Md., and the author of the Career Confidential blog. She is also the author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers, available at https://amzn.to/3Pw0pcu.
