Managing Religious Diversity

Undue Burdens

In one case, a court upheld the right of two employees to greet customers with “Praise the Lord” and “God bless you,” even though the employer got complaints about it. The court determined that it would not be an undue burden on the employer for them to continue to use their religious greetings.

In another case, a co-worker objected to biblical passages posted on a co-worker’s cubicle walls, even though the passages were not offensive to her or any other group. The court found that the employer had no legal obligation to suppress any and all religious expression merely because it annoyed one co-worker.

In yet another case, the court held that an employee could not be forced to sign a promise to recognize, respect and value his co-workers’ differences if the employee’s religious beliefs prohibited the endorsement of certain behavior.

Keeping the Peace

Given that it is unclear whether, when and how to reasonably accommodate proselytizing in the workplace, here are several suggestions on how to avoid claims of religious harassment or discrimination:

• • Include religion in any anti-harassment policy. The same standards apply for sexual, racial and religious harassment in the workplace.
  • Educate employees and supervisors. An understanding of others’ sensitivities can prevent harassment or discrimination.

• • Reasonably accommodate your employees. Think creatively about ways to meet their needs. A good faith effort may yield a compromise.

• • Recognize that an accommodation may have to be extended to other faiths. If a company allows religious study or prayer groups in the workplace, members of other faiths should get the same treatment.

• • Don’t give preferential treatment to any religious group. If a religious activity is permitted, it should be clear that attendance is not mandatory, and that neither attendance nor non-attendance will affect anyone’s career. To avoid even the appearance of preferential treatment, company management should not participate.