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July 20, 2021
Federal law requires organizations to provide employees with a safe workplace environment to practice their religion. Additionally, an inclusive workplace where employees can express their religion, spirituality and beliefs creates a more fulfilling work experience and improves job satisfaction, morale and engagement.
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers must reasonably accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious, ethical and moral beliefs or practices, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer. Examples of modifications to workplace practices, policies or procedures include:
Title VII also protects employees from discrimination and harassment. The law prohibits activities that require or coerce employees to abandon, alter or adopt a religious practice as a condition of employment, as well as unwelcome remarks or conduct based on religion. Employees who profess to have no religious beliefs are also protected from discrimination and harassment under Title VII.
Failure to comply can have costly consequences to organizations. Employers could pay up to $300,000 to settle religious charges brought to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In fiscal year 2019, the EEOC reported that organizations paid $9.9 million to settle religion-based charges of discrimination.
Regular training can create an inclusive and psychologically safe workplace where people feel confident that they will not be treated negatively for expressing their faith. Managers, in particular, play an important role in fostering a respectful and inclusive environment.
These 6 steps support religious diversity in the workplace:
Organizations provide a more fulfilling experience for employees when they support the practice of religion, spirituality and beliefs at work. Regular training on how to accommodate religious expression reduces the risk of discrimination and harassment claims and fosters a respectful, diverse workplace in which employees can be successful in their jobs without compromising their religious beliefs − and without causing undue hardship to the organization.
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By
nicholas.casciani