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The Conference Board Review® Article
Workers' Rites
What happens when an employee's freedom of religion crosses paths with a company's interests?
By Vadim Liberman
Vadim Liberman is associate editor of The Conference Board Review.
Does your company have a witch who says she can't work on Halloween? What about an assistant who spontaneously chants in an unrecognizable language? OK, these are obviously unusual cases of employees bringing their religion into the workplace. But they share one commonality: They're real. And for every such worker, there are thousands more for whom faith is not something they check at the HQ front door. "Years ago, work was work, and religion was religion. People weren't thinking about bringing their faith to the office," says Ron Saunders, The Conference Board's senior manager of research working groups. "But over the past several years, especially after 9/11, as interest in religion has increased, people are more eager to integrate their faith and work lives."
Integration, however, is never problem-free. In fiscal 2006, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 2,541 claims of religious discrimination in the workplace -- almost 50 percent more than a decade earlier. That doesn't include the number of suits brought by employees without the EEOC's help, and it omits most workplace conflicts -- those that never make it to court. According to the New York-based Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, 66 percent of employees report "evidence of religious bias at work."
As religion increasingly collides with corporate policies and practices, companies are asking what is and isn't permissible behavior -- for workers and for themselves.
Obviously, you can't fire someone just because her faith differs from yours. But what happens when you face situations that aren't so black and white -- when the beliefs and practices of customers and co-workers come into play, not to mention the intricacies of employment law? To find out, we presented several sensitive case studies to diversity consultants, employment attorneys, and representatives from religious organizations, asking for their recommendations. Though no one was told at the time, each scenario was an actual court case. Below you'll find these experts' counsel -- and a chronicle of how each case uncomfortably twisted its way to a conclusion. Where possible, we've included feedback from those involved in the cases.
Comments? Write a letter to the editor.
Return to the September/October 2007 The Conference Board Review® issue.
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