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Create a Workplace Policy for Religion

"Avoid talking about religion and politics" is a lesson
we’ve all been taught to keep in mind in social
situations. While politics has crept its way back into
the workplace, religion is still one on which we remain
careful.

by Charles McConnell

But spirituality in the workplace is on the rise. A
November 1999 "Business Week" cover story titled
"Religion in the Workplace" cited the growing presence
of spirituality in corporate America, with major
corporate executives meeting for prayer breakfasts and
spiritual conferences. It also reported religious study
and prayer groups meet regularly in various workplaces.

As religion makes its place in the workplace, it is
important to consider the forces behind this increase,
which include the continuing globalization of business,
shifting patterns of immigration, increasing cultural
diversity and a renewed spiritual awakening in some
segments of the population. You should also take a look
at your workplace and make sure that it is properly
equipped to accommodate the varying religious
preferences of your employees.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids
employers from discriminating against individuals
because of their religion, and further calls for
reasonable accommodation of employees’ religious
practices unless doing so would cause undue hardship
for the employer. Many of the complaints filed involve
questions of accommodation; "undue hardship" is often
interpreted as anything from minor inconvenience to
true hardship. However, many practical accommodations
require no more than workable schedule changes for
employees to attend religious services or brief blocks
of time for observing religious practices.

Concerning company-sponsored spiritual events, it’s
necessary to ensure that all employees receive equal
treatment. That is, attendance at such events is wholly
voluntary; those who attend receive no special consideration
for doing so, and those who decline participation are not
penalized in any way.

Every company should have a written policy concerning
religion in the workplace. An excellent model for such
a policy is the "Guidelines on Freedom of Religious
Expression in the Federal Workplace" issued by the
White House in 1997. With or without a formal policy,
however, there are some important considerations to be
observed concerning employees’religious practices:

*Individual observances must not disrupt normal
activities or impinge upon the rights of others

*No one must suffer harassment because of one’s
religious beliefs or practices

*No attempt should be made to convert others to one’s
own religious beliefs

*Company officials should not sanction one set of
religious beliefs over another

*Complaints of harassment or discrimination based on
religion should be promptly investigated and resolved

Remember, it is illegal to ask questions about
religious preference during the employment process.

It is a virtual certainty that as workplace diversity
increases so will the necessity to focus on religion
and religious observances. Make your company a safe
place for your employees when it comes to their
religious beliefs and practices.

Read the Guidelines on Freedom of Religious Expression
in the Federal Workplace:
http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/New/html/19970819-3275.html

To read this and other related articles online, visit:
http://www.NFIB.com/object/IO_21697.html

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