I'll quickly preface this by saying I really don't mind working, it keeps me busy and when I'm working for a good cause it gives me purpose. That's what I thought would happen when I got my current job for a well-known church based out of Salt Lake City, UT.
Before I started at my current job, I was told that I would be an IT Support Specialist and based on what they explained I would be on the back end working on projects to improve services for church employees. Naively, I also thought that by working for the church I grew up in I would be able to rekindle my faith and feel closer to God. I'm gay and since coming out and starting a relationship with a wonderful man I have felt that I'm living authentically, but I felt that I left my spiritual side on the back burner and I started to have doubts about the truth claims and teachings of the church. But this job opportunity presented itself right as I was trying to look for a new job, and I thought that might be a sign from God in one way or another, and that working for what I believed was His church would help me to become more spiritual.
When I actually started to work, I found out it was a call center, which was the only job I wanted to avoid, so I felt lied to when I asked for information regarding the job in the interview. They had unreasonable call metrics for a web support helpline like all calls must take less than 15 minutes (which is impossible for 75% of issues) and you must complete a certain amount of tickets per hour or else you'll be put on probation.
Luckily, this is a remote job and I was able to finish college because of this. However, even though it's remote they still expect you to adhere to an irrational dress code like wearing a dress shirt and tie as well as no beards, no long hairstyles, etc. despite no one being able to see me since we're on a phone call, not a video call. And managers video call in every few days to make sure you're adhering to the dress code.
They also don't have a time card system and monitor your time through when you log in to the phone system. Even though this is an hourly job and in all companies I've worked for they pay you down to the minute, the church only pays for every 15 minutes (i.e. you work 8 hours 14 minutes they only pay you for 8 hours).
Back a few weeks ago, the team manager organized a “party” to build our team relationships except it was on our day off and we all had to pitch in $10 or so for food and drinks. I didn't go, naturally, because it's wrong to ask people to do this on their day off as well as charge them to do so.
This church I work for is a $100+ billion organization so money's not an issue for them. They also won't celebrate life events unless you're a part of their employee organization which you have to pay $10 per month to be a part of, so that's birthdays, weddings, deaths in the family, etc. My birthday was a few months ago, but because I wasn't a part of the employee organization not only didn't they get a card or anything like that but they didn't even say “happy birthday”. I'm not one who expects work to go all out on someone's birthday, but they didn't even acknowledge me on that day. All other companies I've worked for have been nice enough to at least say “happy birthday” and get me a card and maybe cake. Even with other big events everywhere else I've worked when there's a big event they try to recognize their employees (even if it's not anything huge). I can only imagine what it would have been like if I had a death in the family or another big event working for the church.
With them being penny pinchers, you'd think it would be all around that they would be saving this money for church purposes. Nope, they pay their apostles and Seventys (high-ranking regional church leaders, i.e. equivalent to a cardinal in the Catholic church) hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars as a “living allowance”. I didn't know this until after working for the church. They also get reimbursed travel and lodging and food expenses, so they're not losing money while doing their job.
On top of this, you have to pay 10% of what you earn back to the church because the church teaches the “Law of Tithing” which you have to follow to be “worthy” of a “temple recommend”. A temple recommend is basically a document given to you by your local bishop which says you keep the commandments the church teaches (i.e. you pay your tithing, you don't have sex except with your spouse if you're married, you don't drink alcohol or coffee or smoke, you believe the leaders of the church are prophets of God, etc.). This lets you go to the Temple, which is the most holy place for members of the church, but not just that; it's a requirement to be able to work for the church. So basically the church is paying you what they say, but then you're required to give 10% back or else you lose your temple recommend and then you subsequently lose your job.
Another thing I should mention about a temple recommend, the church has a handbook of policies for bishops and local leaders which gives them instructions on which violations of the commandments are grounds for excommunication/being kicked out of the church (they gave it a new name called “membership record removal” which makes it sounds like it's the person being excommunicated who wants to leave the church rather than the church kicking the person out, but I digress). Previously, being gay or being in a same-sex relationship was one of these violations of the commandments which could get you kicked out, but due to public backlash the church publicly removed the requirement of excommunication for gay couples/individuals. Having said that, even though it's no longer church policy, they left an open hole in the policy for local leaders that excommunication councils aren't “required” but may be held if the local leader deems it necessary, and behind closed doors the local leaders are being instructed to still hold these excommunications. To my friends and family I've been open about who I am and my relationship status, but I've kept it secret at work and at church. I don't know what this says about me or my character that I did this, but if my local bishop finds out it's probable that I'll be excommunicated for being gay and then also lose my job.
Recently there was a data leak of church members' personal information (i.e. DOBs, mother's maiden name, members' personal bank account details they use for tithing and donations, etc.) which they kind of swept under the rug. They created a prepared statement that we would have to say word for word if anyone was to call us to complain, and told us specifically not to apologize or sympathize (apologizing or sympathizing in any way is an admission of guilt according to their lawyers I guess) and whoever does that will be subject to termination/firing. Really Christian of the church lol.
Last thing, I promise. People say Christians are some of the most judgy people on the face of the Earth. I don't know about that, but at least my coworkers and managers are that kind of people. With the exception of one person, every time I've had to go to the office in-person no one talks to me and no one even says hi. Small thing, but you'd think a church that calls itself the Church of Jesus Christ would follow His example more. Working for this job my faith has actually diminished, not grown. I'll say again that I'm grateful I was able to work remotely to finish my degree, and I still try to think that God put this job in my life at the right time for that, but more than anything to show me that the church I loved is doing terrible things and is far from doing what God wants them to do.
TLDR:
I work for a church, they lied about what I'd do for my job, they control your dress and grooming despite not even seeing you, they charge you for work recreational activities, you have to pay them 10% of what they pay you to keep your job, they fire you if you're not “worthy” or if you're openly LGBTQ, and they pay their holy men millions while paying their workers almost nothing in comparison. If you're thinking about working for this church, don't.
Edit:
I know people have commented it's a cult and I'm not going to say it isn't or it is, but I grew up in the church and there were a lot of voices from friends and family and my whole community saying that it would be a good place to work for. I'm trying to find another job though so I can get out of this situation.