Business Values

[JesusWalks78]

I have several businesses, my organisation has a certain value system that is in line with my christian belief (I think this is why my business has taken off so well).

DO you think that if I do not hire homosexuals because they are not the people I want to be around, or the type of image I want my company to portray in my small (everyone knows everyone else)conservative society because it could mean losing valued customers......should I be obligated to hire them?

 

[CriticalMassKitten]

If they are qualified for the job, and the best choice for it, of course. If not, you don't need to. Race, gender, sexuality, and all those other things don't really play a part in business anyway.

 

[Steezie]

I have several businesses, my organisation has a certain value system that is in line with my christian belief (I think this is why my business has taken off so well).

DO you think that if I do not hire homosexuals because they are not the people I want to be around, or the type of image I want my company to portray in my small (everyone knows everyone else)conservative society because it could mean losing valued customers......should I be obligated to hire them?

I think you'd be making an incredibly dumb business decision if you didnt hire gays. Also its illegal to refuse a job to people based on sexual orientation.

1. You'd be giving yourself a bad name. You'd be known as a bigoted business and probably get gay rights groups on you.

2. You'd be throwing away a potentially beneficial source of labor. If a truly skilled person walked in the door, it would be stupid to pick someone of lower skill simply because the skilled person was gay.

Morally, I cant support not giving people jobs based on sexual orientation. Practically, it still seems stupid.

 

[JesusWalks78]

If they are qualified for the job, and the best choice for it, of course. If not, you don't need to. Race, gender, sexuality, and all those other things don't really play a part in business anyway.

It would in some places.

 

[quatona]

I have several businesses, my organisation has a certain value system that is in line with my christian belief (I think this is why my business has taken off so well).

DO you think that if I do not hire homosexuals because they are not the people I want to be around, or the type of image I want my company to portray in my small (everyone knows everyone else)conservative society because it could mean losing valued customers......should I be obligated to hire them?

Well...before you hire a homosexual I think it would be a good idea to at least warn them about your negative attitude towards this segment of the population in general.

Btw: In my country questions like the one for the sexual orientation of the candidate are not allowed in job interviews, and if they are asked you have the right to be dishonest.

 

[JesusWalks78]

I think you'd be making an incredibly dumb business decision if you didnt hire gays.

Why a hetero person can do the job just as well.

Also its illegal to refuse a job to people based on sexual orientation.

not where I am from.

1. You'd be giving yourself a bad name. You'd be known as a bigoted business and probably get gay rights groups on you.

The gay rights groups here a laughable, they are so insignificant and the Methodist church keeps them in check.

Also how would anyone know that I dont hire gay people based on orientation?

2. You'd be throwing away a potentially beneficial source of labor. If a truly skilled person walked in the door, it would be stupid to pick someone of lower skill simply because the skilled person was gay.

I could also run the chance of losing customers that do not like gay people (I have many coservative customers), I could just wait for a while untill a hetero that is just as qualified comes through the doors.

(Before anyone goes mad, I do hire homosexuals)

 

[levi501]

Yes, you should be required to.
What you do have control over his how they represent you. For instance if they are flamboyant or choose to make it known they are gay and you can prove this is a detriment to your business then in theory you should be able to fire them.

 

[JesusWalks78]

Well...before you hire a homosexual I think it would be a good idea to at least warn them about your negative attitude towards this segment of the population in general.

Btw: In my country questions like the one for the sexual orientation of the candidate are not allowed in job interviews, and if they are asked you have the right to be dishonest.

Fiji is a very small place, everyone knows everyone else.

I generally dont hire people that dont give their TalaTala (reverend/holyman/priest) numbers as references.

 

[quatona]

I generally dont hire people that dont give their TalaTala (reverend/holyman/priest) numbers as references.

I´m a bit confused in which context your question had to be understood: Is it meant to be a legal question, a moral/ethical question, a question how to gain maximal profit, or a question how to find loopholes in laws or ethics?

 

[Skaloop]

I have several businesses, my organisation has a certain value system that is in line with my christian belief (I think this is why my business has taken off so well).

DO you think that if I do not hire homosexuals because they are not the people I want to be around, or the type of image I want my company to portray in my small (everyone knows everyone else)conservative society because it could mean losing valued customers......should I be obligated to hire them?

As a privately-owned, privately-run, privately-funded business?

No, you are not obligated to hire any homosexuals, and you can justify that however you want. But then, I'm not 100% familiar with American labour laws.

In Canada, however, I don't think an employer is allowed to ask if a potential hire is homosexual. Also, an employer cannot fire an employee later discovered to be homosexual. Homosexuality is a protected minority under our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, just as religion, gender, race, and disabilities are.

 

[beechy]

I´m a bit confused in which context your question had to be understood: Is it meant to be a legal question, a moral/ethical question, a question how to gain maximal profit, or a question how to find loopholes in laws or ethics?

I second this question ...

 

[doomBot]

I think it was meant to be a "I want to start an argument, who's up for it?" question.

 

[JesusWalks78]

I´m a bit confused in which context your question had to be understood: Is it meant to be a legal question, a moral/ethical question, a question how to gain maximal profit, or a question how to find loopholes in laws or ethics?

Sorry I guess it should be more clear.

The question is about the comfort of the owner. if a employer is not comfortable with one type of person...should he be legally/morally obligated to hire them.

Like if a person is uncomfortable around homosexuals, and it doesnt match up with the business values, and personal values of the employer does he have the discretion to hire as he sees fit.

I employ mainly married people, but in one case I hire single and homosexual people.

 

[beechy]

Sorry I guess it should be more clear.

The question is about the comfort of the owner. if a employer is not comfortable with one type of person...should he be legally/morally obligated to hire them.

Like if a person is uncomfortable around homosexuals, and it doesnt match up with the business values, and personal values of the employer does he have the discretion to hire as he sees fit.

I employ mainly married people, but in one case I hire single and homosexual people.

In America, employers can generally make hiring and firing decisions based on whatever criteria they want (e.g., you're prettier than the other girl -- you're hired, I don't like you -- you're fired) as long as it's not one of the specific, legally impermissible criteria, like race, gender, or age (although age is generally limited to advanced age, rather than youth). As for sexual orientation, some American states have added it to the list, some haven't. If Fiji doesn't have employment laws that restrict your ability to hire and/or fire gay people based solely on their orientation, then it's up to you.

 

[beechy]

Also, if you're asking my opinion about what Fiji's employment policy should be -- I'm not sure that I have one.

 

[selfinflikted]

I don't think you should be required to hire homosexuals. This is your business, and if the candidate for hire doesn't match with your work ethics/values/morals/whatever, it should be at your discretion. However, if the homosexual in question is better qualified for the position than anyone else on your list of potentials, you'd be shooting yourself in the foot if you didn't hire them.

 

[Lynden1000]

Sorry I guess it should be more clear.

The question is about the comfort of the owner. if a employer is not comfortable with one type of person...should he be legally/morally obligated to hire them.

Like if a person is uncomfortable around homosexuals, and it doesnt match up with the business values, and personal values of the employer does he have the discretion to hire as he sees fit.

I employ mainly married people, but in one case I hire single and homosexual people.

I'm wondering how you would actually know this individual is a homosexual based solely on his job application or interview. I mean how many people list "homosexual" on their application or happen to bring up during the course of an interview that they happen to prefer sexual intercourse with members of the same sex?


So I'm going to assume you're referring to one of the following two types of people: someone who openly announces his or her homosexuality right off the bat, or someone who appears gay because of some type of physical characteristic, such as short hair on a woman or a man with a high pitched voice.

For the former, I'd say you're acting quite reasonably not to hire this person. He or she obviously has no idea how to act appropriately in a business environment.

As for the latter, then I'd say you're stepping way out of line in making an assumption that someone is gay based on how they wear their hair or how they walk or talk. That would be like refusing to hire someone just because people once believed that men with large sloping foreheads were all retarded and/or criminals.

 

[kopilo]

I have several businesses, my organisation has a certain value system that is in line with my christian belief (I think this is why my business has taken off so well).

DO you think that if I do not hire homosexuals because they are not the people I want to be around, or the type of image I want my company to portray in my small (everyone knows everyone else)conservative society because it could mean losing valued customers......should I be obligated to hire them?

You are possibly cutting yourself short, to start with the 4 Ps (Product, Placement, price and promotion) lead to portraying an image as long as you maintain a rule that staff are not to wear any sexual orientation specific clothing (such as gay pride badges) then I don't see what the issue is.

I mean isn't it hard enough for homosexuals to get jobs in Fiji as it is?

As has already been stated.

If they are qualified for the job, and the best choice for it, of course. If not, you don't need to. Race, gender, sexuality, and all those other things don't really play a part in business anyway.

It may gain your company "that image" but remember it will also gain your company an image of "anti-homosexualism" if you explicitly (and possibly implicitly) do not hirer homosexuals on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Think about it, if you went for a job and were turned down because you were a Catholic (in spite that you were really the best person for the job), are you likely to ever buy from that firm or see that firm in a good light and how many people are you going to talk to about your experience?

However at the end of the day it is your call.

 

[CriticalMassKitten]

It may gain your company "that image" but remember it will also gain your company an image of "anti-homosexualism" if you explicitly (and possibly implicitly) do not hirer homosexuals on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Think about it, if you went for a job and were turned down because you were a Catholic (in spite that you were really the best person for the job), are you likely to ever buy from that firm or see that firm in a good light and how many people are you going to talk to about your experience?

However at the end of the day it is your call.

That's... basically what I was saying. lol In business, you should only choose the most qualified, and the person with the best record.

 

[Verv]

Somebody should not be pressured to hire homosexuals if it will effect business; if this is a business that has a real front to uphold, e.g. one that sells a product very intimate to someone's life, then certainly image is everything. I can understand how one wouldn't want to employ them.

However, at the same time, one should not deny them work unless it will adversely effect your livelihood.

Christians are to be known by the fruits that they bear, as a tree is, and if the fruit that we bear is exiling people from our society, alienating and ostracizing them, that is not Christian. Christ embraced the weak, the needy, the immoral (adulterers, traitors to their country, etc.).

I think what would be in line with Christian ethics would be to, if any homosexual applied to your company, to help them find a job suitable for them within your business or within someone else's business, being that showing kindness and love to all should be the hallmark of Christianity.

Since your society is so conservative (which is not bad), it would speak highly of the Christian community to go out of your way to help the downtrodden.

Christianity is a religion which includes all sinful people(for we are all sinful), so to be exclusive due to your religion is unacceptable and is using yoru religion to re-inforce personal prejudice which is unacceptable.