It is evident that humans have set of norms that are directly affecting their behaviors, habits, and choices. The norms, on the other hand, are dictated by various factors that include culture, and religious beliefs among other social perspectives. The values and norms embraced by these factors are further identified to have an impact in every other area of the human life, work included. Considering that different individuals have varied religious beliefs, their interaction within the workplace in many cases contributes to both the growth and the conflicts observed in workplaces. Depending on the organizational culture, rules and the regulations highlighted within an institute, religion can promote diversity among staff members in ways that can boost the operations within the company or vice versa. In this essay, we shall address the following tasks that include highlighting the impact of religion in the workplace and solutions to possible incidences of discrimination. Furthermore, we shall focus on the benefits of incorporating religion within the workplace for purposes of ensuring that efficiency and excellence are attained against the inability to accomplish some assigned responsibilities due to the norms and beliefs of an individual. Finally, we will apply the ethical theories and perspectives to religion in the workplace.
Religious discrimination in the workplace has become immensely observed following the increase in numbers of court cases filed. One may want to analyze whether it is ethical to discriminate particular persons in their place of work on the basis of religion. While religious beliefs may have an influence in the way people interact with others, individuals can still be ethical without being too religious. According to Steven Mintz (2012), ethics is basically the ability to conduct oneself in the right manner. Furthermore, it is more of acting right and fulfilling one’s responsibilities as expected. Therefore, in the case of religion in the workplace, it is easier for staff members to perform without igniting discrimination on others primarily due to their faith but focus on their ability to deliver their duties as expected. Moreover, philosophers argue that the central part of ethics is ‘a good life,’ which is ideally defined as one that is satisfactory and worth living. Such perspective contributes to the need for facilitating satisfaction in the workplace through ethical habits without necessarily incorporating the beliefs and practices of specific religions. Contrary to this logic, Steven Mintz highlights the argument of Immanuel Kant who purports that the requirement of ethics is God (2012). These perspectives have contributed to the unending debate on religion as an ethical foundation in the various area of the human walk which includes workplaces. Hence the existence of discrimination amongst some staff members.
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Diversity in religion within the workplace has highly been influenced by the increase in immigration across the globe. It has promoted the spread of various practices in places that lack those beliefs and values. For purposes of ensuring that religious conflicts which include discrimination are dealt with, Kabrina Krebel Chang (2016) highlights that there is a need for managers to analyze the situations at hand and deliberate on long-term solutions that will facilitate possible outlined consequences. Some of the common situations that have contributed to the change or shuffle of staff members include the need for time to worship on a particular day. Such requests presented to the management on an earlier notice may aid in ensuring that some individual values including that of the organization are not jeopardized. It is for such reasons that specific persons can change shifts with the other primarily to accommodate their need to worship and to ensure that the responsibilities allocated to them are still accomplished. Considering that there are numerous religious beliefs including individuals who do not believe in any, it is essential for staff members to collaborate without emphasizing on their religious needs especially at the workplace solely to deter the eruption of discrimination amongst employees. On the other hand, some religions dictate that their believers submit to a specific number of times during the day in order to engage in prayer or reverence to their supreme being in whom they worship. Depending on the nature of the job, it may become a nuisance or unfavorable to the responsibilities assigned to these employees primarily because of issues like emergencies, deadlines, the workload, or a number of clients to serve.
Following the cases of discrimination in the workplace and the tendency to forgo some responsibilities on the basis of religion, the theories of ethics and perspectives in which we shall make use of are deontology, rights, and virtue ethics. Before commencing any job descriptions, most of the employees are expected to sign an agreement form that requires them to submit to all the regulations outlined in the consent. At this point, they are in a position to negotiate some of the clauses that they feel would jeopardize their values or beliefs in one way or the other. In case they do not, find any fault in the consent, then the theory of deontology dictates that individuals should be in a position to oblige to their responsibility with excellence regardless of what they feel or what their environment dictates. In this instance, religion in the workplace may be overlooked when the priority of an individual is to serve others and ensure that their responsibilities are highly executed. It is therefore logical for other individuals to apply the same primarily to facilitate tolerance in the differences of beliefs that exist within a working environment.
Following the ethics and perspectives of rights, some countries have facilitated policies that deter individuals discrimination in the workplace basing on their religion, race, color, and ethnicity among others. As outlined in FindLaw (2018), employees in America are protected by the First Amendment with respect to faith. Citizens are at liberty to exercise and practice desired religions which should not be in any way be hindered by employers or fellow employees for as long as they are not in any way breaching the rights of fellow staff members. Any form of discrimination towards employees including the inability to hire them due to their religion, nationality, gender, and race among others is illegal as highlighted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
As in the case of virtue ethics, it takes up the effort of every individual within an organization to conduct themselves in a manner that is acceptable. Being virtuous is expressed in the way of ensuring people embrace good and forgo what is bad. Furthermore, virtue ethics encourages the need to respect other people’s perspectives, believes, culture and religion. While the issue of using religion in decision making especially in the workplace has been contentious, it is identified that the different faiths that exist in the world today have played an enormous role in building ethical practices among individuals. The problem comes in when individuals feel that their faith is far better than that of others. It is such beliefs that contribute to the eruption of conflicts among members of a specific organization contributing to disagreements. As highlighted by Larry Chonko (2012), virtue ethics dictates that individuals be judged by the way they behave rather than by a random act which may be far-fetched from the normal habits. In the instance of religion, it is fundamental for fellow employees to understand ways in which other religions dictate their believers to behave in order to accommodate some of their practices. Furthermore, it will facilitate incredible space in ensuring that some habits are deterred in the presence of a particular group of individuals. Since religion promotes some ethical values in people, organizations must facilitate room in interaction with the diversity of various faith and outline the need to stay on the course of job requirements.
Religious discrimination in the workplace is unjustified following the existence of different perspectives among persons. Moreover, the beauty of diversity among individuals promotes possible solutions to certain challenges that arise at a particular organization hence creating room to minimize eruption of conflicts due to varied religious beliefs and existence of discrimination (Saltarelli, 2013).
Conclusion
Discrimination in the workplaces is taking a broader shape and from the inability of one to accomplish their duties, elements like race, religion and cultural differences are becoming top reasons why some individuals face stigma. Religious practices have impacted the need to enhance tolerance among staff members since it is an essential part of the human race. It is the responsibility of managers in an organization to formulate policies that would not deter individuals from practicing their religious practices in consideration of their need to perform their duties as required. On the other hand, it will be essential to apply the legislation implemented by the government primarily to facilitate adherence to law and order. Deontology encourages the need to focus on one’s duties which should be the basis of their judgment in making a decision that concern work ethics. Rights and virtue ethics, on the other hand, promote the need to focus on existing policies, social values, and conduct among individuals.
References
Chang, K. K. (2016, March 15). What Companies Can Do When Work and Religion Conflict . Retrieved June 4, 2018, from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2016/03/what-companies-can-do-when-work-and-religion-conflict
Chonko, L. (2012). Ethical Theories. DSeF - University of Texas at Arlington.
FindLaw. (2018). Religion in the Workplace . Retrieved June 4, 2018, from FindLaw: Employment Discrimination: https://employment.findlaw.com/employment-discrimination/religion-in-the-workplace.html
Mintz, S. (2012, April 9). The Role of Ethics in Religion . Retrieved June 4, 2018, from Ethics Sage: http://www.ethicssage.com/2012/09/the-role-of-ethics-in-religion.html
Saltarelli, I. (2013, February 28). Religious Discrimination . Retrieved June 4, 2018, from Moral & Ethical Issues in the Workplace : http://moralandethicalissues.blogspot.com/2013/02/religious-discrimination_8272.html
