Teller fired for saying have a blessed day sues bank and story makes headlines. Polly Neace claimed that U.S. Bank fired her after 24 years as a teller because she told her customers “have a blessed day.” The Kentucky woman is suing the bank claiming that she was let go because of her religious beliefs. The company is hitting back saying that many of their clients complained that Polly Neace lectured and preached to them.
Polly Neace worked as a teller for the U.S. Bank located in Walton, Kentucky for over 24 years before being fired in 2011 for repeatedly telling her clients have a blessed day after servicing them.
The former teller is suing the bank for terminating her because of her religious beliefs.
The religious woman who attends church every Sunday spoke to FOX with her attorney by her side saying that in early 2011, she received a warning from her supervisor after a woman complained that Neace told her “God bless you.”
Neace ignored the strike and continued to use the religious term and even joked about it with her manager.
Not amused by the fact that Neace kept bringing the church in the work place, her boss fired her 24 hours after the joke.
Neace is suing the bank claiming that she got axed because of her religion and is asking for unspecific damages.
The bank is hitting back in a press release where they explained that the former employee harassed clients and co-workers numerous times while working for them.
They claimed that she scolded a client by asking her why did she use the name of the Lord in vain.
She was caught on several occasions preaching and lecturing to customers about going to hell and salvation.
The business stated that they have proof that Neace read the Code of Ethics Violation and chose to break it.
How can we help this woman? This is insane!
This woman just used her Right of Freedom of Speech… Why is it all other groups have wear emblems saying what they believe.. What is wrong with saying “have a blessed day”.. If we all could be blessed.
God Bless this woman and it will return to her 10x……..
Shame on you US Bank……..
Good for the bank.
She was warned. She apparently lectured customers about religion… about “hell” and “salvation.”
More companies should practice separation of church and state and commerce and enforce it.
I agree with you. They call religious people fanatics. What do you call someone who is dead bent on reprogramming people so we will have a universal way of thinking. I would say this would lead us back to the dark ages, and then we would become obsolete and no longer would exist.
Actually when you work for a private company you have no Freedom of Speech. The government cannot punish her (unless she was harassing people which apparently she was) but a private company has every right to demand that employees not harass other employees and customers.
Telling customers and fellow employees that they will go to some fantasy religious S&M playground called hell is harassment and deserving of firing.
No she didn’t. Look up freedom of speech and see what it really means. She was working in a privately owned business that did not support her espousing her personal viewpoints on religion.
Do you think if I started spouting off about Hinduism that I wouldn’t get warned about it?? Are you really that clueless?
Employees do not enjoy the protections of the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution while they are at work – working for their employer. This is in fact the case with most of our Constitutional rights they generally cease to exist when working, or at the work place – if you doubt this, try taking “the 5th” next time the boss asks you questions about the missing box of pens… This lady doesn’t need a lawsuit, she needs a union to secure her rights in the workplace.
Freedom of Speech protects you from retaliation by the government. It does not isolate you from the rules of your employer or any other citizen.
If banks become preachers, can churches be financial advisers.
She has NO RIGHT to preach at work, she was warned, she ignored, now she’s trying to cash-in… hopefully, the bank will win, and bankrupt this “high_priestess”.
SHOVE your religion down my throat, I’ll shove a .45 down yours
Help her with what? She was asked to refrain from speaking to customers in a place of business about religion. She made the choice to continue to do so.
This was not on her own time or in a business she owned herself.
Thanks, Sam. Apparently someone actually read the article!
We are asked a lot of things in our occupation that we disagree with; people are not robots. It is ingrained in each one of us to express our freewill – which people take for granted so often in this country. We take the liberties that weren’t always available in this country to us. The very oppression that our found parents sought to escape, has been subliminally resurrected in various institution and cultures in America. If suppressing this woman’s beliefs is offensive to someone who shares an opposing view, is this justice for all. Rights are effective when they target one specific interest group. It only works when each citizen has the liberty to freely speak in order to effect change or influence in a progressive way and not in a way that it can be demeaning, destructive, or selective. We are not a nation that is build on censorship. We live in a democracy where everyone has a voice, yet everyone can chose or reject at anyone time. When an employer hires a person, they are also hiring the whole person – where we come with difference; that may be a person who may not like there boss – but are asked to respect their boss; they may not like the philosophy of the organizational goals, but they may be asked to carry about a specific task that will vehicle the corporate goals – which may not be apart of their job description. Everyone knows that you have to dissemble often in order to get along. You can’t take the whole person out of the equation. Our experiences, views, and essence are all part of a package. It is best served when we accept the whole person, rather than reprogramming people. To do such a thing most assuredly will be devastating to the corporate culture, and weaken the foundation in which the American constitution protects for all citizens. We take for granted so many liberties in this country, and only sort through personal belief system. Well that concept makes the future of this nation’s progression very weak and vulnerable to a Kingdom that could crumble. Without worthwhile ideas, how could we possible continue as a civilize society?
Jake,
Exactly what are you trying to say since your rambling post ends up sounding like a jumble of nonsense with no real viewpoint.
While I would never be offended by being blessed, and I understand she was doing her Christian duty, she was wrong, and had been advised to refrain from preaching, etc. While God will take care of her in her time of need, He also gave us the gifts of intelligence and free will to utilize. WE could help her by having her understand boundaries and the laws/rules of man.
Take her out for a drink a show featuring the Chippendales??????????
May the LORD, who this woman is praising and adoring, show HIS power by making things easier for her.
BOYCOTT U.S. BANKNANDITS AFFILIATES IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
I’M WITH YOU CAPTAIN AMERICA…..The caped crusader sees something wrong with this..
Boycott is right !! and spread the word..If the gays can sue for every little tiny thing, then “OH HELL YEA” boycott for sure
Captain America:
Why? The Bank and any company has a right to enforce a code of conduct for a customer-facing employee.
If I lectured my customers on “hell” and “salvation,” as she apparently did, I should, and would, be fired.
They stood up for the rights of their customers and other employees. They deserve commendation.
You are a complete moron ‘merica. Yes, boycott US Bank for giving an employee the chance to stop injecting religion into the work place then firing her after she refused. Never leave your mom’s basement, the real world is just too big for you.
Good for Ms. Neace and shame on the customers who complained! If I banked at her bank, I would not any longer after this story.
Shame on Ms Neace for thinking that proselytizing at her customer and fellow employees is anything worthwhile or appropriate in a business environment.
Sometimes preachy can be annoying but at the same time, she is a firm believer…I wish I could be so Christian and try and save souls…
Can’t believe in a Nation Under God that a company would have a code of ethics with regards to religion. I understand separation of church and state but to fire someone with regards to religion….mmm… It would be like sitting next to someone at work talking of witchcraft and levitating rocks at Halloween because that’s what they believe in….and I’m told… “tolerate it”
When she tells her fellow employees that they are going to go to h*ll, she has crossed a line that she had no right to cross and deserved to be fired after having been warned to stop.
I agree with the bank, she knew the rules and elected to ignore them. If I were an atheist, would it be OK if after every customer finished their business I decided to tell them that their beliefs were wrong? Her actions were likely costing the bank money, therefore they were bad for business. How about if the bank decided that everyone should receive a cut in pay since they were not making as much due to the teller’s actions? Yes, she elected to exercise her right to free speech, she knew it was against bank policy and ignored the rules anyway.
What a low down thing for the bank to do. It is interesting how people with specific beliefs are selected to be silent; but universal acceptance on topics are indeed acceptable. Lying about how great an establishment is – because we are to represent, if we are employed there, will be appropriate and the firm will fully support the misrepresentation as long as it results in benefit for the company. Many of us have worked in established where you either knew or believe that the company wasn’t providing the benefit to the customers as they claim, but we are to lay aside our ethics, values, and belief systems just to make the company look good. Listen, you can remove the whole person from whatever your task, work, or commitments and responsibilities are. It is a part of who you. We are all different and have different backgrounds, and we can’t be isolated to target any one audience. It makes sense to allow people to express their feelings, as long as it doesn’t cause destruction to another. How is saying “have a blessed day” going to destroy an individual? Obvious the recipient targeted is still alive. You aren’t going to always have what you want in this life – we are all different. In this life we have to sort through the various beliefs and decide what we will accept or adopt, or on a subliminal or personal level leave it. We can’t stop people from being human; that is who we are, and we all come with a variety of opinion, beliefs which are developed through a process of systems that constructs the way we think, believe, act; this is still not the whole person; rather, we are changing and redeveloping each day. You should allow for that as a citizen in the USA, rather than stifle someone who is different. The civil rights would have never been successful, if those who were persistent would have allowed the authorities to stifle their voices. Learn to be kind; tolerant; a person who will seek peace, truth, and respect for one another. How can words like “bless” cause harm to a person – either you receive it or reject it. She could have said “have a lousy or bad day.” Where do we draw the line with stupidity in this country. I have been a customer of US Bank for more than 20 years, and I am annoyed that they would inhibit people from being humans; rather, seem to want robotic tellers. Perhaps that is what they should employ, and see how the public will respond – I know that we wouldn’t like it, most of us despise the ATM (especially today in the way that it is designed. We virtually accept it because we don’t have to interact with humans, and often it is faster – but it doesn’t solve any problems.
Note that the article said that she also tried proselytizing her fellow employees and was told to stop that (which by the way she has no legal right to do in a private company.)
Proselytizing others IS obnoxious and unacceptable in a business environment.
The bank did the correct thing.
Spread the word girl!
Whether you believe the same way as Ms. Neace, she has a right to a freedom of speech. I agree that she should have toned it down a bit, but she does have that right, and I am sure nowhere in her employee handbook has it ever said that she cannot speak freely about her beliefs. I believe most say that they will not discriminate based on that… but what do I know?
Actually, in a a private company employees often do NOT have the right to proselytize their beliefs at customers or fellow employees. It is call harassment.
I have encountered this many times and I prefer not to be blessed. Especially in a place of business.
If this woman was a Satanist and was claiming her “right” to religious free speech and told people to have ” A great day, Hail Satan” would you be supporting her then? I’ll guess not. Hypocrites.
I agree with her employer, she was warned and continued to witness to customers. I would be highly offended if the teller at my bank chastised me for using the Lords name in vain OMG, or chose to witness to me, or judge me. I just want to you to process my transaction in a timely fashion, with a lollipop or dog bone(my banks gives these items to patrons who have children or a dog with them), and a “Have a nice day, weekend, holiday etc..”. Walgreens employees end every transaction with “Be Well”, I assume this was chosen as to not offend anyone. She could have chosen many different ways to say goodbye after a transaction, the list in endless. She disobeyed a direct order from her superior hence, she was fired end of story.
If a Jew said Shalom or a Muslim said assalamualaikum they would never had fired them because they would look anti-Semitic or a racist. Nice double standard.
Shalom is NOT a Religious phrase.
BIG difference.
I have never been lectured at by anyone in any business, if she had started in on me about “going to hell” and the such I would have complained to the managment. Saying “have a blessed day” did not get her fired, breaking a companies policies did. She will be fine there are plenty of people who will run to her defense because this is an “attack on Christians”. Whatever, she was fired for being unable to comply with the wishes of her employer, that would be her choice. Maybe that chicken place is hiring, or hobby lobby.
While I understand her convictions, your place of work is not the place to disciple. Your not really doing God’s work when your doing it on your company’s time; and pointing our your co-worker’s sins is no way to evangelize. She should have set the example of apologizing and asked for forgiveness. Evangelizing should be done on personal time to be considered a personal sacrifice; not on your companies time when your being paid to do a job.
HINT: If your making people feel uncomfortable, your doing it wrong. Save the preaching for the saved. The unsaved only need to hear the good news of salvation.
This is a difficult situation and my sympathies go out to the woman, who obviously was not trying to hurt anyone. Unfortunately for her, though, this is a case where First Amendment rights do not apply because the bank is not a government entity. When she was working at her place of employment, she was acting as U.S. Bank’s agent. Accordingly, the things that she said could be attributed to the bank. It is understandable and permissible for the bank to instruct her not to convey a religious message to customers, particularly after some customers complained about it.
Of course, if she were fired for saying this any other time or place, or for saying it to her coworkers, that would be a very, very different case. My law firm frequently handles employment discrimination cases and high-profile lawsuits, and based on that experience I know it is likely that there is more to this woman’s case than the media is reporting.
If you believe that you or someone you care about may be the target of discrimination in the workplace, it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. Sometimes people do not have the right to act as they think they do, and knowing when to reign in their conduct can be critical to saving their jobs.
With the world in such turmoil it is refreshing knowing someone wishes you a blessed day.We can all use a kind spirit especially if your having a bad day.What will be next,interrupting people as they pray before a meal. If the world were ending today I bet people would love to be blessed.
We tend to forget that everything that this Country of our stands on is the principle of God’s reign. READ YOUR TENDER-IT DOES SAY IN GOD WE TRUST. Religion is not a always feel good moments, unfortunately we have to deal with Life, just as she has the right to comment on her faith, others Have the right not to allow the conversation to be taken out of context. I don’t know about you but whatever BLESSINGS are stored up for me I want to be the FIRST one to receive them.
Actually this nation does NOT stand on some deity’s reign. That is NOT why the money says those unconstitutional words.
To those who are defending this woman, a more detailed article said she went beyond just saying have a blessed day. If she had kept it to that I doubt she would have been fired. But she went beyond that, in effect preaching to the bank customers and asking them religious questions. I, myself, would not be offended by “blessed day” but would not appreciate being preached at by a bank teller. She went too far and the bank had every right to let her go after asking her to quit.
She deserves to be fired.
When you work for a business, and have a direct interface with customers, you are required to follow the rules the business sets up for such interfacing.
She is free to talk about her religion and her faith to people when she is acting as an individual. She does not have that right while acting as a representative of a business.