Every
employer gives money in exchange for
what the employee can give in return. It does not matter what the employer offers
to the public: a product or a service; brain-power or muscle-power, the
principle remains the same. An employer
exchanges money for what an employee can provide the business.
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Your boss has his own needs for |
Often
when a person asks his boss for time off to keep the lunar Sabbath, he will
make the mistake of trying to get the desired work accommodation by explaining
that he needs the Sabbath off because
of his religious convictions. That approach rarely, if ever, works. To put it bluntly, your boss does not
care. He does not care about your “felt
needs” and he certainly does not care about your religious convictions. He has a business to run. That is his need and only those who help him meet his needs will be retained as
employees.
You
could take in your spouse, your children, your elderly parents, and plead for a
job that lets you have off holy days because the great Elohim of Heaven says to
keep holy the seventh-day of some ancient calendar, and it will not keep your
job or get you a new one. Even the
nicest and most sympathetic of employers will not accommodate your needs on
those grounds.
The
reason is simple. Your boss has a family
to support, too. He has bills to pay and
possibly other employees that must be kept happy, as well. His ability to support his family and pay his
bills is directly related to how well he performs in his job as manager, or as owner of a business. His success is based upon wise decisions that
benefit the business, rather than
being a “nice guy” to one employee.
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| All who heed the warning will be protected by Yahuwah. |
You
and your employer both have needs. Your
need is to have time-off the regular work schedule so that you can keep
Yahuwah’s holy days. Your boss’s need is
to make sound decisions that will bring income into the business. You want your boss to accommodate you. This will require making concessions to
accommodate him. You may have to work
for less pay or at different times, even at night. You may have to work six days a week or on weekends. Do not expect your boss to do all the
conceding while you do none.
The
business owner/employer will give accommodation only when the employee has
something of greater benefit to give the
business in return for having the requested days off. When you approach your employer, do so from
the stand point of what you have to offer him.
It will likely take extra effort on the part of your boss to work around
your changing schedule. Make sure that
when you ask him for this accommodation, what you have to offer him in return
is of greater benefit to him than what he will be sacrificing to accommodate
your needs.
As
someone who is not bound by the Gregorian week, you have a unique service to
offer your employer that can greatly benefit him, but you need to let him know
this. Night time shifts are often perfect for lunar Sabbath keepers, but the dawn to dusk
hours must be taken into consideration and scheduled accordingly with allowance for travel time
to get home, etc. The nights that would need full accommodation from dusk to dawn are Passover and the Day of Atonement, which could be scheduled far in
advance. Unlike most of his other employees, you can work times that
other employees do not want to work.
When
you can offer, “I will work five and a half days for the same wage you now pay
me for five days,” the boss will be more likely to grant the request. Being willing to work national holidays,
weekends, nights, and other times most people do not want to work, gives the
employer something of value in return for his accommodation. For many small business owners, this may
require signing a waiver to not be paid overtime.
Requests
for time off for holy days should be submitted in writing. In presenting your request, either when
asking for accommodation for your current job, or when applying for a new job,
you must clearly present that what you have to offer will benefit the business
even more by what you can provide in exchange for those days off. Only in this way, will an employer see a
reason to provide for your holy days and employ you, rather than someone else
who is not as much “trouble.”
You
should also provide a printed off explanation of the calendar and the dates (with the relevant hours) you
need off for several months in advance. It
is difficult for most people to grasp how a different method of time-keeping
works. By providing the employer with a
printed calendar and the dates you need off, as well as all the days you are
available to work, the employer can make an informed decision.
You
will not get holy days off based on a statement of your need. The boss is more
concerned with what he can receive, rather than your need. You will only receive what you need, if what
you have to offer in exchange is valuable enough to your employer, that it
off-sets the extra hassle of scheduling around your varying days available for
work.
It
goes without saying that your loyalty and work ethic must be without flaw. In this, Daniel is an inspiring example. Late in Daniel’s life, Darius the Mede appointed
him as chief over all the other government officials. Darius singled Daniel out for this important
position because “Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps,
because an excellent spirit was in him.”
(Daniel 6:3, NKJV)
This
aroused the jealousy of the other high-ranking government officials. They tried to find something they could
accuse him of so the king would have him removed from his position.
“So
the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning
the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful;
nor was there any error or fault found in him.”
(Daniel 6:4, NKJV)
What
a testimony! Not even his enemies, those
who were looking for faults, could
find an occasion to fault Daniel. That
sort of work ethic will be valued by any employer. You must be on time for work, courteous,
cheerful with customers and fellow employees, easy-to-get along with, prompt
and thorough in your work. By your
honesty and carefulness to do your job well, be sure you are an employee that
your boss will want to retain.
Even
in the work force, you can exert a powerful influence for Yahuwah. Scripture reveals that Heaven is willing to
bless even unbelievers, for the sake of the faithful believing individual. So it was with Joseph even when he was but a
slave.
Yahuwah was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the
Egyptian. And his master saw that Yahuwah was with him and that Yahuwah made
all he did to prosper in his hand.
So Joseph found favor
in his sight, and served him. Then he
made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put in his hand.
So it was, from the
time that he made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that Yahuwah blessed the Egyptian’s house
for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of Yahuwah was on all that he had in the
house and in the field. (See Genesis
39:2-5.)
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An employee that is honest and |
What
do you think happened to Potiphar’s business ventures when He allowed Joseph to
be wrongfully imprisoned? Yahuwah
showered blessings on Potiphar’s business affairs for Joseph’s sake. He is the
same today and is willing to help His faithful, obedient children today as they
seek to honor Him.
Accommodation
for working a different schedule means that you are obliged to give more and be
a better employee than any of the other regular workers. You must be able to show your boss that in
exchange for giving you certain days off, the business will benefit by what he
will receive in exchange.
And
as you seek to live out in your sphere of influence the principles of honesty,
integrity and hard work, you can be a shining example of truth and
righteousness as were Joseph and Daniel.
To your current boss, any prospective employer and your work mates as
well, you are witnessing even when you askfor holy days off of work. They are
thus learning that there is a Biblical calendar that is different from the papal Gregorian calendar used in
the business world. Your stand for
truth, in spite of the obstacles that may stand in your way, will be a witness
to your family, friends and business acquaintances.
Yahushua will stand by you and strengthen you for whatever lies ahead.
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