Dear Hadi,
In my line of work, I sometimes have to go to dinners with clients. Although I don’t order or drink any alcohol, the clients sometimes do. I am expected, on behalf of my employer, to use my company credit card to pick up the check.
This always makes me uncomfortable but I’m not sure what to do. I work for a great company where I am respected, and treated well, and I don’t think I should have to give it up just to avoid this situation.
Any advice? Thank you
Dear Stuck Wining and Dining,
Let us first commend you on giving this situation thoughtful consideration. It’s all too easy for us to rationalize things to make ourselves feel better rather than be honest about difficult decisions.
Even if you didn’t change anything about this situation going forward, the fact that it makes you uncomfortable is actually a good thing. You may be familiar with one of the Prophet’s (pbuh) hadith that says,
“He who sees something wrong should modify it with his hand, and if he does not have enough strength to do that, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he does not have the strength to do that, then he should abhor it from his heart, and that is the least of faith.”
Although, according to this hadith, disliking the situation with your heart may be the “least of faith,” it is still faith, and God’s mercy is vast.
If you do want to try to change the situation, there are a few things you could consider - some passive, some more assertive, depending on your comfort level. Is it possible to change these client interactions to lunch or something else that occurs during the day? That may not solve the problem entirely but it certainly reduces the likelihood of alcohol being ordered.
If that’s not possible, you may want to consider talking with your boss about the situation and asking if perhaps another colleague could accompany you who would be responsible for picking up the check – it’s a small change but helps you avoid having to do what makes you uncomfortable.
You could also talk with your employer about modifying this part of your job; perhaps a colleague could take over this aspect while you offer to take on other responsibilities that don’t place you in this position. Many employers have become more aware of the religious considerations of their employees and, given what you say about the work environment of your company, you may be surprised at their willingness to work with you to find a solution.
Finally, while we are not giving legal advice, do keep in mind that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does require employers to make reasonable accommodations for their employees' sincerely held beliefs.
Again, your employer may be aware of this obligation and may be very open to working with you.
We are including a link from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which gives examples about what are reasonable religious accommodations, and among the things mentioned are things like employee schedule changes to accommodate the prayer times of Muslim employees.
(What You Should Know: Workplace Religious Accommodation | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov) (Alternate Link).
This commitment to religious accommodations was bolstered by a very recent (June 29, 2023) Supreme Court ruling in favor a Christian mail carrier who did not want to work on Sundays. Quoting an article from politico.com:
“In a unanimous decision (alternate link) the justices made clear that workers who ask for accommodations, such as taking the Sabbath off, should get them unless their employers show that doing so would result in ‘substantial increased costs’ to the business.”
Your employer may know that as a Muslim, you do not drink. Still most people would not be aware that we also have a religious prohibition against buying, selling, and transporting alcoholic beverages. If you tactfully bring these facts to your employers’ attention, they may be quite receptive to working with you.
In peace.