Ask a Manager: My new job requires me to take an oath of allegiance

[ermingarden]

(#5 at the link.)

I am a PhD student graduating this summer, and I have just signed on to a fantastic job that I am really excited about. I’m moving from the east coast to California, where I will work for the University of California with my salary paid by a federal grant.

I received my onboarding paperwork today, and along with all the normal stuff, it included an “Oath of Allegiance.” I am required to sign it in front of a witness who is “legally authorized to administer oaths.” Here’s the full text:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the State of California; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter.”

Am I right in thinking this is insane? On the one hand, it doesn’t bother me that much because I can’t see it ever coming into play. I definitely don’t have the type of job where I’m likely to encounter enemies, foreign and domestic, seeking harm to the constitutions of my state or country (and if they do I’m peacing out, thanks). But I feel weird about signing something this intense, and I don’t really want to. Can they legally require this as a condition of employment?

Yep, they can require it. In fact, it looks like all California state employees are required to take that oath, and all federal employees have one too.

Comments

[ethelmay]

As I don't have a criminal record and don't expect to, I think of fingerprinting me as just an identity measure, and the modern world being what it is, my identity is pretty darned clear already to anyone who knows my name and a fact or two about me. So I might object to it as a general practice, but not care at all about being fingerprinted myself. Also, not that this is especially relevant, but it just occurred to me: do fingerprints that are sent in to be checked against a database of other fingerprints get entered into a criminal system? or do they just get tossed if there's no match?

[edenfalling]

I think they are saved, and then if you commit a crime later on, any fingerprints you leave at the scene can be matched to your record in the general database of "people whose fingerprints we have on file for whatever reason". But I'd have to look it up to be sure.

[shanaqui]

I asked. My fingerprints were kept and stored "for reference".

In the UK, we are rarely fingerprinted (I'm 33 and never have been except by US border control; I have no reason to expect to be), and the police are not permitted to retain the fingerprints of anyone who has not committed a crime.