Okay the story goes that you want to work for a certain company. This company is founded by religious owners or organization. You apply, you interview, you are offered the position. As you go through all the paperwork that has to be filled out before you can be hired you come across a long document. As you read this document it becomes clear that this job has a morality clause and that their moral standards are far different than your own. At the time you think who cares. My private life is my own its not their business so you go ahead and sign the clause because you really want the job.
Fast forward a few years. You have been happily working at this company, but something has happened quite publicly in your life that goes against the morality clause that you signed before you began you job. With the public nature of the situation your bosses have found out that you have gone against their morality clause and you are called into their office and promptly fired. You are shocked and angry that the company would do this to you a loyal and hard worker.
Why are you surprised. The company was upfront about what they expect from their employees. You signed on the dotted line that you agreed to live by their morality standards while you where employed by their company. The fact that you don't live by those standards has come to light in a very pubic manner. Because of the contract that you signed the company has every right to terminate your employment.
Why should employers have the right to do this? As a company looking for employees they have the right to look for the best fit within their company culture. This does include what you do in your free-time and what your belief system is especially if you publicly represent this company. As a person looking for work you should also be looking for the best fit for you. The pay may be great, but if you are opposed to the companies philosophies in some areas than the company is not the right fit for you. By willingly signing a contact stating that you accept the company's philosophy and agree to live by it when you have no intention of doing so is in fact being deceitful. If you lie on an application or in an interview any company will terminate you.
As an individual looking for work you make a choice. You do not have to work for a company that is opposed to your lifestyle or philosophy. You may say that the money is better working for that company. So what, you either look for a company that fits your personal philosophy at less money or you actually change your lifestyle to reflect your employers expectations.
It is that simple yet I see it over and over again. A person is fired for breaking the morality clause and they are shocked and angry that the company they worked for had the gall to terminate their employment. They go to the media, they file lawsuits etc. Anyone who signs a morality clause as part of their employment contract and fails to abide by it must expect that they will eventually get caught and they should expect their employment to be terminated, not be surprised when it happens.
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