Balancing Employee Religious Freedom in the Workplace with Customer Rights to a Religion-free Retail Environment

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2012

Abstract

In October of 2009, Trevor Keezer was terminated by Home Depot for refusing to remove a pin from his uniform declaring "One Nation under God, Indivisible." Mr. Keezer, a cashier with Home Depot, contended that the button he had worn for over one year before any action was taken by his employer expressed his support for American troops and his Christian faith. Were the actions taken by his employer warranted or was Mr. Keezer the victim of arbitrary religious discrimination unrelated to job performance? Religion is becoming an increasingly polarizing issue in the workplace, forcing retail managers to balance the respective interests of employees, coworkers, and patrons of retail establishments. And from all indications, if legislation pending in Congress is enacted, maintaining the balance will become more problematic. © 2012 Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University.

Publication Title

Business and Society Review

Volume

117

Issue

3

First Page

281

Last Page

306

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1111/j.1467-8594.2012.00407.x

ISSN

00453609

E-ISSN

14678594

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