RELIGION IN THE WORKPLACE. a guide to navigating the complex landscape. ProGroup Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding

Transcription

1 CORPORATE W ORLDTRAVELER RELIGION IN THE WORKPLACE a guide to navigating the complex landscape ProGroup Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding

2 Contents PREFACE 5 INTRODUCTION 6 PREPARING YOURSELF FOR THE JOURNEY 10 Traveler Profile 15 Checklist 26 RULES OF THE ROAD 28 TRICKY TERRAIN 34 Attire/Hair case studies 36 Discrimination/Harassment case studies 44 Time Off case studies 52 Prayer and Practices case studies 63 SERVICE STATION 72 Tips for Listening to Yourself 76 Tips for Listening About Religion 78 Tips for Responding in the Spirit of Accommodation 81 Tips for Handling the December Dilemma 84 Employee Affinity Groups 85

3 DESTINATIONS 92 Judaism 94 Brief History 95 Beliefs 96 Practices 97 Calendar 98 Diet 102 Attire 102 Life Events 104 Position in Relation to Other Religions 110 Varieties 111 Christianity 114 Brief History 115 Beliefs 116 Practices 118 Calendar 121 Diet 123 Attire 123 Life Events 124 Position in Relation to Other Religions 127 Varieties 128

4 contents continued Islam 132 Brief History 133 Beliefs 134 Practices 135 Calendar 138 Diet 141 Attire 142 Life Events 143 Position in Relation to Other Religions 147 Varieties 148 Hinduism 150 Brief History 151 Beliefs 152 Practices 154 Calendar 156 Diet 159 Attire 160 Life Events 161 Position in Relation to Other Religions 164 Varieties 165 Buddhism 168 Brief History 169 Beliefs 170 Practices 171 Calendar 172 Diet 174 Attire 175 Life Events 175 Position in Relation to Other Religions 177 Varieties 177 ABOUT TANENBAUM 180 ABOUT PROGROUP 181

5 Preparing Yourself for the Journey Before you go somewhere, it s a good idea to know where you re coming from. Most of us take our religious beliefs for granted and are surprised when an employee, coworker, or colleague displays a set of beliefs or traditions that are, sometimes, radically different from our own. This first chapter presents up-to-date facts on religion in the workplace, with information from a groundbreaking study initiated by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. It also provides a self-assessment to help you see where you stand in terms of openness for unfamiliar religious territory. Rules of the Road Wherever you travel there are rules to follow the Region of Religion is no exception. This chapter breaks down existing federal law on the subject. It helps you to understand some of the legislative history of religion in the United States, and it holds up a magnifying glass to relevant legal distinctions that are the basis for cases laid out in local Tricky Terrain (see next). destinations This chapter, the bulk of this guide, provides the facts to help you navigate the big five : Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Each section contains a real-life Traveler s Tale to give perspective (taken from stories heard in the workplace) and Rest Stops for the weary traveler, with tips on making the journey a little easier. 8 Introduction

6 Tricky Terrain Every road is different and requires different rules for travelers. This chapter looks, case by case, at recent applications of the law aimed at easing and resolving workplace tensions. Service Station When traveling, breakdowns are often unavoidable. This chapter helps you out when your tires are flat. It provides examples of current best practices, sketches out ideas for community building and opening up lines of communication, and offers models for dealing with religious conflicts as they arise. A recent Fortune magazine article, focusing on leaders in the corporate world who find no conflict between spiritual practice and business as usual, remarked, The goal here isn t to rally the troops behind yet another office blood drive; it s to make the workplace a more ethical and humane arena, one where believers and nonbelievers alike can find fulfillment. 1 We couldn t agree more. 1. Mark Gunther. God & Business, Fortune, July 9, Introduction 9

7 Tricky Terrain For each situation involving religion in the workplace, there are unlimited possibilities for handling it. Even the greatest scholars on religion have their own interpretations and beliefs about appropriate responses to everyday occurrences. When you add lawyers and human resource professionals to the mix, the degree of complexity increases. This only makes the journey of religion in the workplace more challenging. We call this chapter Tricky Terrain for that reason. Managers and supervisors find themselves faced with situations related to religion that leave them scratching their heads and feeling confused about what to do. The good news is that there are some Rules of the Road that apply (see previous chapter). Beyond that, dealing with religion in the workplace comes down to common sense, good business practices, and maintaining respect for the individuals involved.

8 The situations you will read about in this chapter were selected because they represent topics that come up often. We felt their resolution provides actions that can be transferred to a variety of similar situations. While they are all fact-based cases, some of the details have been modified to provide additional insight and learning. Treat these cases as a means of challenging your thinking and a tool to build your confidence in the situations you will face. As you study the cases, pay attention to all the issues that need to be considered those that are obvious and those that are not as apparent. Put yourself in the manager s shoes and consider what you would do. Then read the What Should the Manager Do? section and see how you did. We have provided our best attempt at commentary and resolution and have consulted leading attorneys to review our work. Despite this effort, we strongly advise that you consult your own experts when you are faced with perplexing situations and don t know what to do.

9 D I S C R I M I N A T I O N / H A R A S S M E N T Requirements of the Job A devout Jehovah s Witness applied for and was hired as a waitress at a popular restaurant. She became aware on her second day at the restaurant that her duties would include singing the song Happy Birthday. Because her faith does not celebrate birthdays, she asked her boss to be excused from that duty and offered to do something else instead. Her boss refused her request and told her that if she couldn t sing the birthday song, she could not wait tables there. The waitress quit her job and sued her employer for religious discrimination. Legal Issue: Religious accommodation for religious beliefs. Ruling/Case Law: The parties reached a financial settlement, and the company agreed to adopt a new religious accommodation policy. Although there was not finding of fault, the new policy was written into the employee handbook and incorporated the EEOC s definition of religious discrimination. In addition, employee disputes with management were thereafter required to be handled at the corporate, rather than local, level. Implications for the Employer: Employers must accommodate religious beliefs that are sincerely held and consistently practiced, so long they do not cause undue hardship (such as increased costs, loss of productivity, or violations of collectively bargained seniority systems). WHAT SHOULD THE MANAGER DO? Jehovah s Witnesses are often misunderstood because they refrain from most forms of celebration. Some coworkers even perceive them as antisocial. As a result, Jehovah s Witnesses sometimes feel ostracized. This problem can be eased with a bit of education. The supervisor needs to be briefed about his obligations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to provide religious accommodation. In this case, it would probably have been easy to accommodate by simply asking another waitress to fill in for the moment it took to sing the birthday song, while the Jehovah s Witness tended temporarily to the other waitress s table. Accommodations need not be complicated. All it takes is a little goodwill and imagination and everyone s needs can often be addressed. Tricky Terrain 47

10 Have you heard complaints from a Muslim fellow manager when lateafternoon meetings are scheduled during Ramadan? Does your Jewish project manager need time off for the High Holidays? Does D E S T I NATIONS the turban worn by your valuable Sikh computer specialist violate company dress codes? Have some Christian employees asked you if there s a room they could use during lunchtime for Bible study? These situations are all features of the landscape in the Region of Religion, often leaving the average manager feeling like a stranger in a strange land. However, each religion is a destination in the corporate world, and the dedicated traveler will always come home with new information and experiences. 92 Destinations: Buddhism

11 Included for each destination is: A traveler s tale presenting a personal story of religious issues in the workplace. Drawn from real-life examples, these tales provide a context for the day-to-day challenges managers must deal with in the modern corporate world. A brief history of the religion. A general summary of major beliefs. A discussion of common practices related to the religion and how they might affect the workplace. What You Will Find in This Chapter Think of this chapter as a road map and almanac all rolled into one to help you plan your journey. Each of the five main destinations (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, & Buddhism ) is covered. A detailed calendar of important holidays, festivals, and other faithbased time considerations. Facts about diet. Clear information on religious attire and suggestions for integration with corporate dress codes. A full listing of important life events. A discussion of the religion s position in relation to other religions. Examinations of the different varieties of practice within the faith itself. A Rest Stop in each section encourages reflection from the traveler. Also included are crossreferences to other applicable sections of the guide for example, addressing in the workplace sensitive religious issues, examples of best practices, and current case law. Destinations: Buddhism 93

12 TRAVELER S TALE Judaism The Magen David, or sixpointed star, in Jewish liturgy signifies God as the protector (shield) of David. It s related to Jewish mysticism, but it became known as a symbol of Judaism when it was adopted as the emblem of the Zionist movement in Iwork for a great company. I hear over and over again that this company is like a family, and I believe that, most of the time. I get frustrated and sometimes angry at that statement, being one of the few Jews on my floor. It seems like every week I end up having to remind someone that I can t stay late on Friday or work over the Sabbath. I told this to my manager when I was hired, so why should the responsibility be on me alone to remind people every time? I get so tired of explaining it. And then, there s the holiday season. I don t celebrate Christmas; how hard is that to understand? Every year there s a Secret Santa gift exchange. I feel I have to participate, as I already stand out enough, and I don t want my job affected because I m not a team player. I receive Christmas cards with Merry Christmas crossed out and Happy Hanukkah written in. I ve tried to explain why the holiday season can be uncomfortable for me, but the response is usually, But we put a Happy Hanukkah sign on the table this year or something to that effect. First of all, that s missing the point, and second, Hanukkah is not the Jewish Christmas as I ve heard it explained. It s a completely different holiday that traditionally didn t even include the exchange of gifts. I know the company, my manager, and my coworkers mean well. They want to include me, but in these and similar situations, I feel even more excluded. 94 Destinations: Judaism

13 Brief History The Jews as a people were united by Moses, who brought them out of slavery from Egypt and who then was given the Torah, or Law, by God on Mount Sinai. The personal relationship between God and the Hebrews was established before this, however, with Abraham, who was considered the first person to recognize and worship the one God. The Jewish people originated in the vicinity of what is now referred to as the Middle East, specifically Israel and Egypt. sacred scriptures The Hebrew Bible is referred to by Christians as the Old Testament. The books that Christians call the New Testament are not part of the Jewish scriptures. The Hebrew Bible is also known by the names Torah or, more completely, Tanakh. The word Torah deserves special attention because it can mean different things in different contexts. It can be used to refer to the entire Hebrew Bible. More broadly, it can actually refer to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings. In its narrowest sense, however, Torah refers to the first five books of the Bible (the Books of Moses, or the Pentateuch). Tanakh, on the other hand, is an acronym for the three large divisions of the Hebrew scriptures: Torah, Nevi im (Prophets), and Kethubim (Writings). In the first five centuries of this era, rabbinic writings, collectively known as the Talmud, were produced for elucidation of the biblical texts. The Talmud is intended to interpret and apply Jewish laws, ritual, civic, and ethical, as well as offer a rich anthology of moral tales. REST STOP Today there are approximately 14 million Jews worldwide. main countries Judaism is practiced in the United States, Israel, Russia, and Eastern Europe, with sizeable communities also in France, Great Britain, South America, South Africa, and Canada. 14,000,000 United States Israel Russia Eastern Europe Destinations: Judaism 95

14 CORPORATE W ORLDTRAVELER RELIGION IN THE WORKPLACE AN IMPORTANT TOOL KIT THAT DEMYSTIFIES THE ISSUES SURROUNDING RELIGION IN THE WORKPLACE! ProGroup and the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding have come together to create this practical and informational tool. The purpose of this tool kit is to ensure that you get the most out of your journey and are ready and able to handle even the most unfamiliar religious situations in your workplace with dignity and respect. a traveler s tool kit for navigating the complex landscape THIS BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED TOOL KIT INCLUDES: Traveler s Guide with practical information about Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, a self-assessment; and case studies based on current case law and tips for managers. Attractive storage case Dialogue Wheels tools to encourage conversations that increase religious understanding. Phrase Book a quick reference to common religious terms. Religion in the Workplace Survey Report Order Religion in the Workplace Today: $ TANENBAUM CENTER FOR INTERRELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING