How could religion affect possible implications in a future workspace?

Nowadays, a business environment consist more and more of people with different faiths, and who also want to practice their religion at work. Business and legislation is adapting to this situation because they see it as a source of strength for a company when they recognize the importance of religion for their employees. However, it can also be the other way around when employees' faith differ.

A 2001 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Tanenbaum Center shows how religion impacts the workplace.

Good developments

• A majority (89 percent) of respondents reported no change in the number of incidents of religious bias in their experience. Seven percent said the number of incidents declined.
• 95 percent of respondents said there hasn't been a religious discrimination claim filed against their organization in the past five years.
• Eighty-seven percent of HR professionals surveyed believe managers do not stereotype employees based on faith. And 79 percent believe employees do not stereotype each other.
• Ninety-five percent of the sample allow special decoration of office space for holidays. Also popular are allowing religious materials in work areas (75 percent); decorations that cover the interests of a all employees (68 percent); and flexible scheduling to give time off for religious practices (67 percent).
• Seventy-seven percent of respondents' organizations include religion in their standard harassment policy.
• One-third of respondents indicated that their companies have seen heightened cooperation and communication among employees due to acceptance of religious diversity.

Bad developments

• More than one-third (36 percent) of respondents said that there are more religions represented in their workforce than five years ago.
• Twenty percent of respondents had an increase in religious accommodation requests over the past five years.
• Less than one-third of respondents' organizations have a written policy on religious diversity. Of those with an official policy, only 4% have one apart from the general diversity statement.
• Christian holidays are the only official ones in 99% of workplaces. And only 25% of respondents' organizations permit holiday swapping, such as working on Ash Wednesday in exchange for taking time off on Yom Kippur.
• According to HR, taking religious needs into account when providing food for employees is the third most asked for accommodation (28 percent). Yet, it is seventh on the list of accommodations offered (50 percent). Also, having a written policy on religious holiday leave is in the top four requested accommodations (20 percent) while it ranks 11th among those offered by employers (22 percent). Hence, the survey points to a possible disconnect between employers and employees.
• While HR professionals do not report an increase in religious discrimination claims over the past five years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) saw a 24 percent increase in religion-based charges for the same five-year period (EEOC data may be found at www.eeoc.gov/stats/religion.html).
• The SHRM/Tanenbaum survey asked if workers complained of special treatment when the company offered religious accommodations. Compared to five years ago, 13% fewer HR professionals were free of favoritism complaints due to religious accommodations.
• Nearly 20% of respondents report employees proselytizing coworkers about religion. And compared to five years ago, there was a slight increase in conflict among employees due to religion.
• Only 16% of respondents' organizations offer training on religious accommodations. Only one-third include religion as a component of diversity training.