Religious diversity is increasing at the office, and so are pitfalls

[rug]

Tanenbaum’s 2013 survey on “Religious Discrimination in American Workplaces.” Photo courtesy Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding

David Gibson | Aug 29, 2013

(RNS) The American workplace, like the rest of U.S. society, is becoming more religiously diverse and that is raising concerns about employer accommodations for believers — and increasing the odds for uncomfortable moments around the water cooler.

Yet one potential flashpoint among workers does not involve new immigrant faiths but rather two indigenous communities: white evangelicals and unaffiliated Americans who constitute one of the fastest-growing segments of the population.

A major factor contributing to workplace conflict, according to a survey released on Friday (Aug. 30), is that evangelicals — whose religious identity is tied to sharing their beliefs — are much more likely to talk about their faith at work than other religious and nonreligious groups.

In fact, half of white evangelical Protestants said they share their beliefs with co-workers, compared to 22 percent of workers overall, according to the 2013 Survey of American Workers and Religion, sponsored by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/29/religious-diversity-is-increasing-at-the-office-and-so-are-pitfalls/

https://www.tanenbaum.org/2013survey

[cbayer]

1. They also found that companies that addressed this directly and developed policies

had better morale and less conflict.

That's a good thing, imo.

[MrModerate]

2. Policies such as promoting mutual respect and tolerance?

. . . and counseling against unwelcome discussion of religion in the workplace?

Or something more activist?

[cbayer]

3. About promoting mutual respect and tolerance

and working out the guidelines for accommodations, I would guess.

Policies like this could clearly address the unwelcome discussion of religion in the workplace as well.

Anyway, they found much better morale in places that were addressing it, and that makes sense to me.