Please help, Religion on the workplace?

Question

I'm writing a paper in HR about religious discrimination and I would like to ask you out there to help me please.

1.Do you think that there is a limit for employers to accommodate employees' religious needs?

2. What do you think of; Follow religion as part of your personal life not part of the workplace?

Answer 1

1. Yes, when they infringe on the rights of the other workers or customers, such as witnessing to them during work hours.
2. Unless you work in a church or similar religious setting (such as a parochial school), religion has absolutely no place in the workplace.

Answer 2

The Workplace Religious Freedom Act protects employees from any type of discrimination from anyone who wishes to bring their faith into the workplace, that also does not mean that an employee can use up their worktime to minister to others or share their faith, I believe there is a balance in the time an employer will allow for small bible studies or devotions in the workplace. Freely during lunch times or breaks it is your choice to share with others. Employers are now benefitting from allowing employees to have a set time for sharing , it has raised the moral of those having the task to be at the workplace eight to ten hours a day, I would think any employer would like his/her staff to be an overall ideal worker , how can a christian not allow the holy spirit to be with him in the workplace (thats absurd) a christian cannot take off his belief and leave it at home. First of all the holy spirit is what prompts an employee to produce excellent work because he does it unto the Lord, also he has ethics and integrity in the workplace, and his work is done with Love and service, you can't match that with all the employees in the workplace because other employees do not have a spiritual guide. Religion is part of the employees duty in the workplace, the employee must be wise to discern the time and place God allows for sharing. I hope this has helped, good luck !

see: Exodus 31:1-6
Colossons 3:17
Psalms 51:6
Matthew 20:27

Answer 3

I don't think it is appropriate to practice religion in the workplace, but I also don't believe it is appropriate to force others to compromise their religious beliefs. Under no condition do I think it is okay for there to be any kind of prayer in the workplace. If there must be a prayer at a certain time of day, then I think that person needs to leave the building on break. Most employers would be accommodating.

Answer 4

If a person lives according to a specific faith, a religion, then it "is" their life. It is who they are and everything they do and their entire morality and conduct is based upon this faith. Trying to separate a person from their faith when at work or at any other time is ridiculous and an infringement of their rights. If you want to put the shoe on the other foot...it's like saying someone can't be "gay" at work...only in their private time. Try that in secular society and just wait for the headlines and lawsuits. For a person of faith, if they have any special needs as a part of their belief system, they should certainly make those additional requirements known to their employer before ever being hired so the employer has the opportunity to weigh the pros and cons of hiring that individual from a financial perspective. If the employer really wants to hire that individual and is willing to accommodate their faith, then that should be the employer's right to do so, but they should not be forced by government to do so. Honesty and transparency is usually the best route. Businesses exist to provide a service and to profit from it.

That said, a company should not be forced to hire "any" individual because of special privileges. Hiring should be determined by those who know the business best and have the most invested, not some government oversight committee that has no knowledge of the specific business being regulated. I personally have not heard of very many special requests made by followers of most religions...aside from Islam. Foot washing basins, Prayer rooms, half day Friday's, special menu's, prohibition of alcohol...etc. And yes I can see from an employer's perspective that hiring a person of that faith could be more hassle than they are willing to deal with if these requests are made...of course this should be up to the employer who they will hire and who they will not, not the state or the federal government, unless it is a government position.

If the organization is religious, then they have every right to run their business as their faith dictates, and hire those who will also practice their faith. Christian businesses cannot condone or promote homosexuality, abortion, gambling, etc., but they could hire a homosexual individual as long as the person respects the faith of the organization they work for, and of course they should be held accountable if they break that agreement which should be made before hiring. The same can be said of a religious follower, they can work for a secular company as long as they follow the rules of the company...but in any case, if the rules prohibit any aspect of a person's faith or lifestyle, then it should be discussed with the employer, or made clear long before employment is ever begun, and if the rules are implemented after the hiring, then their should be some kind of compensation package if the person of faith, or the person of a specific lifestyle, according to their principles/values, can no longer work according to the new rules.

You can't force someone to live counter to their faith, just as according to secular opinion/pop culture, you can't force someone to live counter to their lifestyle. All things must be presented professionally and openly with reasonable compensation if there is a values driven conflict between employer and employee.

Government involvement in the hiring process along with frivolous lawsuits because of petty offenses are the real problems with business relationships today. People in today's market either feel threatened by their employees or are so paranoid or "cash settlement" hungry that they react at any perceived slight offered by an employer...so of course this drives the desire to start businesses into the gutter and thereby limits growth in our economy.

People need to learn to respect each other and stop whining about every little thing. Workplace hiring should be by merit, not special privilege or quota, and honesty and transparency should be the norm for any relationship, working or otherwise.

Take Care and God Bless!

Answer 5

!.) People should be accomodated as long as it doesn't infringe upon the rights of others. Then you have reverse discrimination. 2.) I work in a place where a large portion of them are one particular religion and political party to boot. But I'm the only Apostolic. well, they can go on and on for hrs. But if I breathe a word I'm reprimanded. Therefore, I have decided, we are there to work, not preach. It isn't about religion or politics and people should have to strictly keep it to themselves. The only exceptions I can think of religiously is "required garb" for a particular religion. That would HAVE to be accomodated for or somebody would be getting sued. Hope I could help.

Answer 6

Yes, there is a limit as I have seen many goldbrickers use their faith as an excuse to get out of work while others had to remain.

Religion does not belong in the workplace except during your break times. That's not to say i object to people having a Bible or displaying crosses in their cubicle. We all personalize and to ban it would be ludicrous, if not illegal.

I worked in a place that had "voluntary bible study" and was fired for not attending.

Answer 7

(1) Yes. Everything has limits of some kind.
(2) This is fine in theory, but in practice the lines of demarcation are likely different for everyone. One person reading their Bible or having it on their desk might be problematic for another person committed to a completely secular atmosphere. The Bible reader might feel threatened by the secularist attitude, etc.

Answer 8

When religion interferes to a point where work is not being accomplished and company time is not being used wisely, there is a limit.

When you truly follow a religion it is part of you. It is part of any situation you bring yourself into. Nonetheless, it should not interfere with those around you or your own personal work.

Answer 9

Yes, employers don't have to accommodate anyone's religious needs during the workday. They get breaks and they can do what they want during that time.

Religion does NOT belong in the workplace. I don't want to hear about it, don't want to see it, etc.

And I sure hope the people who want private "prayer areas" in airports get shot down because that's ridiculous.

Answer 10

You are at work to work..Your boss pays you to work. You are stealing from your boss if you are not working. Witness to others by your hard work...I am not sure what you mean by accommodate employees religious needs..What religious needs do you require except Holy days off.