Pandering

There's a guy I work with, he's fairly new to the company and a really nice guy. However one of the jobs he has to do is erect ancillary equipment on scaffolding and this means working at heights. When he first started he said he had no problem with heights and appeared to get on fine doing the job. There have now been two incidents however in which he has run into problems working at exposed heights, even with the harness system we use for protection.
Disciplinary proceedings (of a sort) are now ongoing and despite being counselled over the first incident, it rather looks like the guy will lose his job due to his unwillingness (or fear) to carry out his duties.
It's a shame, he's a nice guy, but the company isn't willing to employ someone who can't or won't do the job they are employed for.
You'd think this would be the same in most businesses, well you'd be wrong, particularly if you're dealing with a member of the religion of perpetual offence...
Telegraph.

Muslim staff working for Marks & Spencer have been given permission to refuse to serve customers buying alcohol or pork products
Its policy decision has highlighted a split among the big food retailers over whether religious staff should be excused certain jobs.
In contrast to M&S, Sainsbury’s said it had issued official guidelines that stated there was no reason why staff who did not drink alcohol or eat pork for religious reasons could not handle the goods.
The advice followed consultations with religious groups, said a spokesman.
Tesco said it treated each case on its merits, but said it “made no sense” to employ staff on a till who refused to touch certain items for religious reasons.
At M&S, Muslim staff who do not wish to handle alcohol or pork have been told they can politely request that customers choose another till at which to pay.

Now I have no problem with the muslims having difficulty handling glass and plastic for after all it's not like they will actually come into contact with the articles their silly god has said they can't touch. The problem I have is stores employing people who cannot or will not do their jobs and cite religious reasons for doing so. If the job requirement is for you to work at a checkout and deal with the good sold in the store, then that's what you do. If there's a problem handling said goods for you personally, then you really shouldn't be working there, nor forcing your religious driven phobias on other people who are actually paying your bloody wages!
Pandering to religions, not just the islamic one is simply not a path to be going down. Yet Marks and Spencer are doing just that by pandering to certain staff, rather than refusing to employ them because in essence they are making themselves unemployable in the role they've applied for. Would you expect a scaffolding company to employ an erector that refused to work at heights for religious reasons? Or a doctor who would refuse to treat the sick if their skin was the wrong colour? Yet this is essence is what Marks and Spencer are permitting, they are employing those who are refusing to do their jobs and allowing them to use their religion as an excuse not to do them.
This is a slippery slope that we're going down and pandering to these people here and in other areas simply makes them attempt to try for more concessions from companies, politicians and other organisations.
If you can't do a job, then you should not apply for it, simple as that.