Jim Christie was an employee at an Albertan Dairy Plant since 1980. In 1983, he joined the Worldwide Church of God and as part of his observance of the faith, he had to take a number of days off work. The Dairy Plant was initially accommodating, but when he tried to take off a Monday, which was the busiest day of the week, it refused to let him off and told him that if he did not show up to work, he would be fired. Christie did not show up on Monday and, when he returned from work on Tuesday, his job was filled with a new employee.