How Much

Can Y
Take

You can get the
religious time off
you need without
jeopardizing
your job.

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN

Scene Editor

IV hen "Stacy" started
working full-time at a
local public relations
firm, she sent a memo
to her supervisors, explaining that
she would miss two days of work for
Rosh Hashanah, leave early for Kol
Nidre, and be absent on Yom
Kippur.
Stacy (who spoke on the ondi-
tion that her real name not be used,
to avoid burning any bridges) gave a
copy to her immediate supervisor,
and another to the Jewish executive
with whom she worked closely. Less
observant than Stacy - he went to a
Reform temple, then conducted
business from home afterwards —
the exec stormed into her office,
"threw the memo in my face, said he
totally did not agree with it and that

9/25
1998

sition that Stacy endured, but it can
if we had a client coming in that day,
be sticky if an employer doesn't
he would fire me if I didn't show up
understand that Jewish holidays
to work," recalls Stacy, who is
require an absolute work stoppage.
Conservative. "He said there was no
It's not a problem for higher-ups
reason I needed to be taking off all
who have been with their companies
that time."
for a while and established their
Even worse, the exec told Stacy
seniority. Young adults, however, are
that she needed "to grow up and get
slowly climbing the corporate ladder
in the real world."'
and can't afford to be pushed off.
She stood her ground, however,
Plus, the top company officials get to
and did not work on the High
know a person's religious observances
Holidays. But, she recalled, "he did-
over time.
n't talk to me for six months after
Although most won't talk on the
that."
record
— for fear of retribution and
Because such a small percentage of
an
uncomfortable
work setting —
identifying Jews celebrate all the fall
many
young
adults
sweat under the
holidays — at least two days for
pressure
of
having
to
ask for time
Rosh Hashanah, and one for Yom
off.
They
want
to
keep
their vacation
Kippur, with some people missing
time
and
stay
in
their
superior's
good
four- more days for Sukkot, Shemini
graces,
but
don't
want
to
violate
Atzeret and Simchat Torah — those
yomtov. And with an increasingly
who do can have a hard time asking
full pool of qualified workers, young
for seven days off in the span of one
adults who are new to the workplace
month. Not everyone faces the oppo-

don't want to be edged
out by less religious
peers.
In a largely Christian
world where Christmas
and Easter are standard
societal holidays, when
no one works, it can be
difficult to ask an
employer for other days
off. Especially when a
minority of Jews observe.
When Margery
Klausner began working
as an attorney at Clark
Hill P.L.C. in Detroit,
she took a five-year
Jewish calendar to her
bosses. She pointed
out the High
Holidays until 2001
- two days for Rosh
Hashanah and one for Yom
Kippur - which they already
assumed she would request off.
Then she described Sukkot,
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat
Torah, and asked for those off,
too.
"They already knew I don't
come in on Saturday," said the
shomer Shabbat twentysomething
from Southfield. "I explained that
for yomtov, I go to services, I don't
drive, it's like Shabbat. Here's a list.
Some years they tend to fall in the
middle of the week a lot, I explained
it's on a different calendar than the
Gregorian calendar. Usually now, I
just mention 'don't forget'."
Klausner had it easy. From day
one, she explained her religious
observance and respectfully requested
time off for holidays apart from typi-
cal vacation time. She also made
copies of a calendar prepared by the
Jewish Community Council, high-
lighted the days she refrain from
working, and gave a copy to each of
her bosses.
Allyson Cohen, an executive
recruiter who lives in Waterford,
asked for Monday and Tuesday off
last week for Rosh Hashanah. Her
boss "questioned why I needed both
days," she said. "He is Reform, and
as I'm getting older, I am becoming
more observant; I had to let him

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