To send an employee to a client even though she refuses because of her religion?

[GelatinousDynamo]

I have a new employee in my team, she is a devout Muslim. She's been with us since January and there were no issues so far, she's getting along well with everyone and her performance was fine. I sent her an email on Friday afternoon to say that our client has now (finally) prepared all necessary documents and that she should go there and go over everything with them one day next week. She wrote me back today that she can't do that because only men work in the department and she can't spend the day alone with strange men (because of her religion).

AIBU to insist that she does her job and goes there or would that be religious discrimination? She shares an office with a male colleague and has never complained about it. She's the first devout Muslim I've ever had on my team and I honestly have no experience at all with such issues. She's the only one who has the necessary experience and isn't already scheduled elsewhere.

We had a heart to heart and she resigned. Left a bit of a bitter aftertaste, to be honest.

That’s a shame. Sorry to hear that it couldn’t be resolved - though I’m not sure how it could have been!

Sorry to hear it was not pleasant. On the bright side, I think you dodged a bullet there tbh.

That's a shame, but she wasn't able to fulfil her role. Hopefully she chooses a job more suited to her .

I think that was the only possible outcome. Did she accept that her beliefs precluded her from fulfilling her job requirements?

This.

There are aspects of all religions which need to move with the times. This aspect is one of them.

That's a shame. Costly for you. A pain to re-recruit. But she couldn't fulfill her role.

Probably for the best, tbh.

Did she accept that her beliefs were incompatible with the role or does she somehow blame you?

Do you think there's any risk of her bringing a discrimination claim (which I believe you can do even with only three months of employment)?

We didn't really speak about her beliefs. It was more about her role at our company and how she imagined it vs the reality of it. She admitted that she applied for the wrong role and tried to "fake it till you make it" at first, she doesn't want to manage projects, she's more interested in the technical side of our job. To be honest, she also complained about the lack of work-life-balance, and I feel like we've dodged another bullet there because she's not even yet experienced how bad it can get on a deadline. There is an opening for a role with a big tech company that would be a much better fit for her, I've suggested she apply, and she's been invited for an interview. I hope it works out for her, she's clever and she could thrive in a more "streamlined" environment.

Hard to see how someone could get educated to a high level without coming across this kind of situation before…?

Well, it sounds like you did well by her and that she’s a young person figuring her way through things. We’ve all taken jobs we wish we hadn’t, I guess she’s figuring out all the things that matter to her and bring her the fulfilment she’s seeking. One of those things really. Glad it was resolved without rancour.

Good riddance, you're well shot of that oxygen thief.

She had no grounds to stand on in the first place - she was full to the brim of BS and she knew it. Applied for the wrong role my arse.

She was caught out with her BS handshakes and office sharing and then shirking on work.

Feel sorry for whoever employs her next.

That actually sounds really positive. I know it 's a faff having to re-employ but it sounds as if this concluded in the best possible way. Why do you say it left a bitter taste? It sounds as if she's conceded the mistake was hers, and judging by her comments re work/life balance wouldn't have been a good fit anyway, so this feels like a brilliant way to draw a line under a very awkward situation?

Thanks for the update OP. Hope she finds the right role elsewhere. I do think it's very weird that any industry is run on an expectation that clients pay for the impact of decisions made outside their control. Whether it was the cost of a chaperone or the headline price of a more senior team member instead of her, the very idea of charging the client for such decisions is perverse. Really glad that you weren't put into such a position.

OP, glad you both independently came to the same conclusion that the role is not the right fit for her. You have been generous in sign-posting her to another role and not taking the disruption she is causing the business personally. It is still a royal pain to recruit to find her replacement. Hope that you get an even better candidate the second time round.

This happened to me. The new hire left within 6 weeks as he got the wrong end of the stick about what the role required as well as the pace of work. He thought it would be a doddle. He is in a better firm for his skills and I got a better and more resilient hire second time round.