The unspoken rule to avoid discussion of religion in the workplace is becoming less relevant as organizations continue to prioritize inclusion initiatives, which aim to create a welcoming workplace for employees with a diverse range of identities. While employees are encouraged by many employers to be true to themselves and inclusive of others, increased religious discussion and accommodation in the workplace has created new challenges for organizations to navigate. In the following, we will summarize important takeaways from the HR Magazine article, “Navigating the Complexities of Religious Inclusion,” by Theresa Agovino.
The article lays out two factors that have brought religious inclusion to the forefront of discussions surrounding workplace discrimination. Religious discrimination cases brought to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the concept of “undue hardship” has been redefined in recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings. Under the EEOC, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodation that will allow employees to practice their faith. Accommodations are only considered reasonable if they do not place undue hardship on the employer. In the 2023 hearing of Groff v. DeJoy, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “undue hardship is shown when a burden is substantial in the overall context of an employer’s business.” Prior to this case, accommodations that created a more than minimal cost to employees were considered to create undue hardship. With these recent developments, experts predict that more employees and advocacy groups will file religious discrimination lawsuits. The resulting contentious environment has the potential to increase conflict between employers and employees seeking religious accommodations.
While recent developments have brought about a high potential for conflict, experts believe that discussing faith in the workplace and explaining the various religious accommodations granted to employees will go a long way in fostering understanding, acceptance, and inclusion among employers and colleagues with diverse beliefs. To build a sense of community among colleagues of the same faith and to encourage open conversations among colleagues with different beliefs, some organizations have created faith-based employee resource groups (ERGs). One organization that has done so is the digital marketing company, MiQ. The article states, “Sara Axelbaum, the company’s global head of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), says that recognizing and celebrating different religions is part of MiQ’s overall mission to create a workplace where everyone feels welcome.” In addition to creating faith-based ERGs, the article provided the following tips for creating a religiously accommodating workplace:
- Ensure that important meetings are not scheduled on religious holidays.
- Accommodate religious dietary restrictions at company events by serving a variety of foods and beverages.
- Provide personal days that can be used for religious holidays.
- Ensure that company policies on granting religious accommodations are aligned with recent Supreme Court rulings.
- Make the procedures for requesting and granting religious accommodations known to all employees.
As with all workplace initiatives, working towards a religiously accommodating workplace will take time and effort from all members of an organization. In a society that values inclusion, it is important that the diverse religious views of employees are also respected alongside other identities.
See our article here to learn more about what the EEOC has to say about religious accommodation.