ehbowen
Member
I served in the US Navy as a Machinist's Mate, taking care of equipment in steam enginerooms. After Navy and Merchant Marine service I went into facilities maintenance in commercial office buildings. From November 2009 (with a one-year hiatus at another company) I was employed by a management company (in other words, outsourced) at a Chevron laboratory facility.
A few months back I got a curious work ticket; I was asked to measure the flagpole for another flag. Then I found a copy of an email which said that the Downtown location was purchasing a sexual perversion "pride" flag, and that they were investigating one for our smaller location as well. I refused to have anything to do with the work ticket and told my boss why.
I didn't hear any more about it for a while, but in the meantime I made my decision: If Chevron announced that they were going to fly such a flag, I would give notice that I would not work under it and that the day before would be my last day. No announcement was made whatsoever, but when I arrived at work on Wednesday, May 28th, the so-called "pride" flag was flying from the flagpole.
I did not enter the parking lot; I called my boss from a remote location and told him that I would not work under that flag. He did not want to lose me...I was a diligent and knowledgeable worker and had received "Outstanding" evaluations for the prior three years. He said that he wanted to arrange a leave of absence...the flag would only fly for thirty days...and asked if I would return afterwards.
I said that I was willing to do this. However, the leave of absence had to go through Human Resources. When they asked me why I was unwilling to work under those conditions, I told them very plainly about my Christian faith and beliefs. After saying that they would get back to me and taking a week to do so, I was told that I was "not in compliance with the corporate policy on tolerance and inclusion" and that if I did not return to work immediately I would be considered to have resigned. I told them that I would not return to work under those conditions.
Since I'm considered to have resigned I am not eligible for unemployment compensation; I wouldn't want to apply for it anyway. I'm not absolutely desperate; I have a couple months' worth of savings available and I have equipment to do video and computer (desktop publishing) work, which is the direction I'd prefer to go anyway (save, of course, in the event of the Second Coming!). I'm really not worried, as God has taken excellent care of me in the past; I've never collected an unemployment check in my life. But I still want to be open to his leadership and direction, and to make it clear that while I will be making efforts using the strength he has given me that my real hope and trust for provision is in him.
Just hoping that some of you might be willing to agree in prayer with me on this, and that I might not miss the very best which God wants to bring about in this situation...not only for me, but also for the lives of those around me. Thanks.
A few months back I got a curious work ticket; I was asked to measure the flagpole for another flag. Then I found a copy of an email which said that the Downtown location was purchasing a sexual perversion "pride" flag, and that they were investigating one for our smaller location as well. I refused to have anything to do with the work ticket and told my boss why.
I didn't hear any more about it for a while, but in the meantime I made my decision: If Chevron announced that they were going to fly such a flag, I would give notice that I would not work under it and that the day before would be my last day. No announcement was made whatsoever, but when I arrived at work on Wednesday, May 28th, the so-called "pride" flag was flying from the flagpole.
I did not enter the parking lot; I called my boss from a remote location and told him that I would not work under that flag. He did not want to lose me...I was a diligent and knowledgeable worker and had received "Outstanding" evaluations for the prior three years. He said that he wanted to arrange a leave of absence...the flag would only fly for thirty days...and asked if I would return afterwards.
I said that I was willing to do this. However, the leave of absence had to go through Human Resources. When they asked me why I was unwilling to work under those conditions, I told them very plainly about my Christian faith and beliefs. After saying that they would get back to me and taking a week to do so, I was told that I was "not in compliance with the corporate policy on tolerance and inclusion" and that if I did not return to work immediately I would be considered to have resigned. I told them that I would not return to work under those conditions.
Since I'm considered to have resigned I am not eligible for unemployment compensation; I wouldn't want to apply for it anyway. I'm not absolutely desperate; I have a couple months' worth of savings available and I have equipment to do video and computer (desktop publishing) work, which is the direction I'd prefer to go anyway (save, of course, in the event of the Second Coming!). I'm really not worried, as God has taken excellent care of me in the past; I've never collected an unemployment check in my life. But I still want to be open to his leadership and direction, and to make it clear that while I will be making efforts using the strength he has given me that my real hope and trust for provision is in him.
Just hoping that some of you might be willing to agree in prayer with me on this, and that I might not miss the very best which God wants to bring about in this situation...not only for me, but also for the lives of those around me. Thanks.
