Published July 2003

Religion in workplace
a ‘hot button’ issue

Q. We have a highly diverse work group at our light-manufacturing plant, and while most workers get along, there have been some conflicts over religious beliefs and how far some can go to “spreading their word.” How does one manage such diverse beliefs and conflicts when they happen?

A. I can remember that not long ago, talk of one’s religious beliefs at work just wasn’t done. While you might casually mention getting a new priest at church or planning a son’s bar mitzvah, these were considered “social” rather than religious conversations. In the traditional workplace, the water cooler was never mistaken for a pulpit.

In today’s more personally intimate work environments, more and more people are wearing their religion on their sleeves or, in some cases, on their heads or covering most of their faces. They view their religious commitment as total. That could mean that recruiting new converts will not be left on the other nonwork side of the time clock.

Managers are being confronted with a proliferation of requests for break-time prayer meetings, display of religious symbols, requested work absences for religious observances and other practices that have brought conflicting interpretations. Fairness in dealing with such requests can result in hurt feelings on some sides and, hence, lawsuits.

Religious discrimination and harassment suits today constitute less than 5 percent of all actions filed against employers, according to recent studies. But as religious practices increase in work settings, the built-in tension of federal law that both protects a worker’s right to express religious beliefs as well as a co-worker’s freedom from religious harassment is creating a new “hot button” workplace issue.

Religious workplace litigation is expected to emerge as close to as large as racial discrimination of the 1980s and sexual harassment in the 1990s.

Accepting display of religious beliefs should not be confused with introducing the religion as a conversion topic into work settings. Devoid of ties to any one religion, spirituality is loosely defined as bringing a sense of personal mission, integrity, compassion and personal respect in the way individuals execute their work responsibilities.

At this point, former President Clinton’s guidelines on workplace religious activities are considered the rule to follow until the Supreme Court orders otherwise. The rules reflect the tendencies of courts to require employers to approve employees’ individual expression of religious beliefs at work while generally prohibiting or limiting any proselytizing if such action creates a hostile work environment or imposes significant costs to an employer.

A secretary won her lawsuit based on allegations that a religious-oriented supervisor began suggesting that she would be happier with God in her life, quoting Bible scriptures to her and asking her to type his Bible study class notes.

Courts have been tough on employers, requiring clear evidence of potential business loss for refusing to allow an employee’s religious expression. Courts have also ruled an employee’s professed beliefs don’t necessarily have to follow a traditional religion.

For instance, when a vegetarian bus driver sued after being disciplined for refusing to distribute hamburger coupons to passengers, he received a $50,000 settlement. The court ruled the “harm” to the bus company was not regarded severe enough to warrant the discipline.

The bottom line: Work with your corporate attorney or a referral to provide training on how to reasonably accommodate employees’ religious needs as well as how far they and other employees can go in trying to “spread the word.”

Eric Zoeckler operates The Scribe, a business writing service with many Snohomish County-based clients. He also writes a column on workplace issues in The Herald on Mondays. He can be reached at 206-284-9566 or by e-mail to mrscribe@aol.com.

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