Religion in the Workplace
Many behaviors are cited as potentially benefiting or harming your career, but have you ever considered that your religion could be one of them? If the thought had never previously occurred to you, then you should probably read on.
MSNBCreports that a former NASA employee is taking the organization to court, claiming religious discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination. NASA claims that the man was harassing employees, although this was not the reason for his termination, which was part of round of layoffs. The man, David Coppedge, disagrees. Although he admits that he was engaging his former colleagues in religious conversation, Coppedge claims that the termination was unfair and plans to let a Californian court have the final say.
Employees in modern workplaces have more protection from discrimination than ever before. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 lays out this protection and, as MSNBC reports, cases of religious discrimination are on the rise.
For employers, religion can be a difficult issue to manage. By law, employers must provide the means for employees to practice their religion on company time, but with multiple faiths requiring different types of facility, all governed by very different beliefs, there are often complications. While religious discrimination is against the law, employers must ensure that employees are able to go about their work without harassment or intimidation – and where there is a clash of faith, that can quickly lead to allegations of intolerance.
Fundamentally, the law gives employees protection from religious discrimination, but that does not mean that their conduct can be affected by those beliefs. If an individual's faith, for example, dictated that he or she must actively promote that faith to as many people as possible, then such behavior in the workplace would not be tolerated. This can sometimes cause problems in ways that may not have been foreseen. In 2009, a nurse working for theUK National Health Servicewas suspended after she prayed for an elderly patient. Her employers eventually permitted her to return to work, but not before the publicity caused a whirlwind of media attention and ignited the issue in the popular press.
The issue of whether religious beliefs should be banned from the workplace has long been debated. Similarly, some observers would advise those that practice religious beliefs to 'play them down' in the workplace. In reality, within sensible limits, your religious beliefs should not be hazardous to your career. Indeed, like any other part of its equality policy, your employer should welcome people off different beliefs. However, in any role, it is always wise to establish any specific scenarios where there may be conflict between your beliefs and your contract of employment. Above all, remember that your beliefs are your own and while you may feel it healthy to share them with others, they may not always agree.
