Can my employer LEGALLY coerce their employees into listening to Christian music?

We’re now going to broadcast Christian music (1 cd per week) over the telephone system’s speakers, and we’ll no longer be playing out personal radios in our offices. This is a Human Resources company, with absolutely no religious affiliations whatsoever. Is it legal for my employer to force the whole staff to listen Dove Award winning Christian R&B for 37.5 hours per week here in the USA?


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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

michr July 26, 2010 at 7:27 pm

you don’t have to listen you can turn off the speakerphone………

it is possible (unlikely but possible) to see this being a discrimination issue IF they played Christian music would not allow you to turn off the speakers and refused to allow other religious music a proportional amount of time to be played but as long as that is not the case there is no issue here.

the safe option for the employer is to simply ban any and all music from being played.

for a clearer understanding of religious discrimination see:
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/religion.cfm

ibu guru July 26, 2010 at 7:27 pm

Turn off your telephone system’s speakers. You don’t have to listen to it, so they aren’t forcing you to do anything but stop playing your own radio/CD/etc in the office.

BTW, how many people had to listen to your music while you were playing your own radio? – and they couldn’t turn off the speakers! That’s probably why the new CD playing over the phone system. So kwitcherbitchin, tend to business, and turn off the speakers.

Mark July 26, 2010 at 7:27 pm

If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it. I don’t see how there possibly could be any legal issue. The guy saying it could be discrimination is full of it.

Heather T July 26, 2010 at 7:27 pm

All of the answers so far are correct. If you do not like it, do not listen. It is your bosses’ prerogative.

Jen July 26, 2010 at 7:27 pm

I agree with all the other responses. You are not being forced to listen to it. They aren’t trying to push any personal christian beliefs on you. It is just the owner’s choice to play a certain type of music and I believe that is his/her right considering it is their company.

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