Religious Discrimination at workplace
In general, religious
discrimination refers to the unfavorable treatment of an individual or group of
individuals because of their religion or philosophical beliefs. The most
well-known religions with well-established cultures—such as Christianity, Judaism,
Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Islam as well as sects within these religions
are included in this. Minor religions and sects like Scientology,
Rastafarianism, and Paganism are included in the category of religion.
Belief isn't solely reserved for religious convictions. Any religious or philosophical conviction can be a part of it. Atheism, agnosticism, humanism, the belief in man-made climate change, spiritualism, and ethical vegetarianism are all examples of nonreligious beliefs that can nonetheless be philosophical. A person may face discrimination, for instance, if they are forced to live or work differently due to their serious atheism. (Embroker, 2022)
It is illegal to treat someone
less favorably than another employee because of their religious or philosophical
beliefs. This is so that the Equality Act of 2010—which forbids unfair
treatment based on a particular characteristic—can safeguard qualities such as
religion, or religious and philosophical belief. Regardless of any other
religion or believe a person may or may not have, this includes a lack of a
specific religion or belief.
Whether or whether it is
accurate, the perception that someone belongs to a certain religion or holds a
particular set of religious or philosophical beliefs qualifies them for
protection against discrimination in the workplace. Perceptive discrimination
describes this. Equally, being linked with someone of a specific religion or
belief, such as a friend or relative, might lead to discrimination against that
individual. Associative discrimination describes this.
(Davidsonmorris, 2021)
Whether a person is employed or
looking for work, they are protected from religious discrimination. Any facet
of employment, including hiring, firing, salary, benefits, promotions,
transfers, and training, is prohibited by law.
many forms of religious
prejudice at work
According to the 2010 Act, there
are four primary types of workplace discrimination that might happen because of
a person's religion, beliefs, or lack thereof,
- Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favorably at work than someone else due to their religion or their philosophical or religious convictions. Direct discrimination can take the associative and perceptual forms.
- A policy, technique, or method of working that an employer uses to treat everyone equally yet unfairly disadvantages people of a certain faith or who hold a specific religious or philosophical opinion is known as indirect discrimination.
- Harassment occurs when someone is subjected to inappropriate behavior based on their religion or beliefs that is intended to violate their dignity or to make their workplace scary, unpleasant, demeaning, humiliating, or offensive.
- Victimization is the term used to describe when someone is treated unfairly because of their complaint, legal action, or support of another person's complaint or claim, such as by serving as a witness. This also holds true if it is believed that someone made or encouraged.
According to Davidsonmorris, (2021) direct and indirect
discrimination at workplace can take following forms.
Direct discrimination at work may take the following forms:
- Not hiring someone because you believe they are Muslim
- paying them less because you believe they are Jewish
- rejecting their request for flexible working hours because they are not Christian
- selecting someone for redundancy because they spend time with Sikhs
- disciplining or firing someone because they are dating a Scientologist
Indirect discrimination at work may take the following forms:
- prohibiting the wearing of sacred religious items, such as the crucifix necklace worn by Christians or the kara symbolic bracelet worn by Sikhs
- requiring people to adhere to a dress code that excludes those who wear clothing as part of their faith, such as Muslim women wearing hijabs or Sikh men wearing turbans
- requiring people to work on holidays related to their religion, such as for Muslims during Ramadan, Jews on Saturdays, or Christians on Sundays.
References
Davidsonmorris,
(2021) Religious Discrimination at workplace [Online]. Available at https://www.davidsonmorris.com/religious-discrimination/
Accessed on 12th November 2022
Embroker, (2022) religious-discrimination-in-the-workplace
[Online]. Available at https://www.embroker.com/blog/religious-discrimination-in-the-workplace/
Accessed on 12th November 2022
discuss the most important issue of the day. Before new candidates join, I believe companies should hold some knowledge-sharing sessions. Additionally, they should occasionally hold memorization sessions.
ReplyDeleteIt is essential to provide adequate knowledge of Human Rights and professional behaviors toward employees with different religions. Especially in Sri Lanka, it is observed that many employees are not well educated about keeping a personal space with their colleagues.
ReplyDeleteEmployers must be aware of their rights to place reasonable work rules and restrictions on employees as well as the rights of workers and applicants who are entitled to reasonable accommodations for their sincerely held religious beliefs and practices.
ReplyDeleteHow can religious discrimination be solved in the workplace?
ReplyDeleteGood article but Some organization has religious discrimination when they select employee for job
ReplyDeleteThe legislation compels an employer or other covered organization to make a reasonable effort to respect an employee's religious practices or beliefs, unless doing so would significantly impair the employer's ability to conduct business.
ReplyDelete