Diversity Training Manual: Part IV - Essay Example

Diversity Training Manual Diversity Training Manual This Section of the Diversity Training Manual focuses on religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). Title VII protects workers from employment discrimination based on their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected activity.  Solely with respect to religion, Title VII also requires reasonable accommodation of employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, and practices when requested, unless accommodation would impose an undue hardship on business operations.

 Title VII prohibits employers from harassing employees because of their religious beliefs. When an employee is harassed because of his religious beliefs, it usually takes one of two forms: hostility or proselytizing. With either scenario, an employer must determine whether the employee is being harassed because of his “sincerely held religious belief.”The three religion to be considered are Orthodox Jewish, Hindu and the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints. Religious practices that could easily be accommodated by management incorporate: Dressing, some of your staff who may wish to dress in a traditional way for reasons related to religion or belief e.g. sari for the Hindu.

If your organization has a policy on dress or appearance, you should try to be flexible and reasonable concerning clothing, items of jewelry and markings which are traditional within some religions or beliefs. Employees who wear beards for religious reasons generally must be accommodated when your interest is simply “professional appearance” or “neatness.” Hindus vegetarian and will not eat meat, fish or eggs. None eat beef. They should be allowed to practice their beliefs without interference and their meals should be prepared and stored differently from the other employees.

Supervisors should accommodate only those religious beliefs that are sincerely held like the Sabbath for the Orthodox Jewish. Therefore, whether or not a religious belief is “sincerely held” by an applicant or employee is only relevant to religious accommodation, not to claims of disparate treatment or harassment because of religion. Adherents to the Mormon faith do not smoke, drink alcohol or consume caffeine; they should not be discriminated against for that. In fact, this means that they are sober to perform their duties diligently.

Religious practices that would be difficult to accommodate by management incorporate: Safety issues like the prohibition of wearing loose garments around machinery, however, don’t need to be overlooked for the sake of accommodation. Sexual discrimination against sexual orientation of a certain individual at work place by the LDS should not be tolerated. The LDS do not practice homosexuality or lesbianism and therefore would go and discriminate against certain individuals. Allowing individuals leaves that could harm the production capacity of the company should not be allowed.

For example, allowing Mormon missions that usually last for two years. Most of the practicing orthodox Jewish don’t believe in college education which in turn harms the company’s productivity since they most likely will be lacking the necessary skills for the job there are undertaking. Employers that encourage their workforce to be tolerant of diversity, including respecting individuals religious beliefs, dress to observing and decorating the office for all holiday observations, if possible, will ultimately make for a happier workplaceReferencesBest Practices for Eradicating Religious Discrimination in the Workplacehttp://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/best_practices_religion.

htmlEEOC Compliance Manual on Religious Discrimination (2008) at Example 39; EEOC v. Heartland Employment Services, LLC d/b/a Manor Care Health Services-Citrus Heights, Case No. 2:08-cv-00460-FCD-DAD (E.D. Cal.) (consent decree entered May 2010); EEOC v. Healthcare and Retirement Corp. of America d/b/a Heartland Health Care Center - Canton, Case No. 07-13670 (E.D. Mich. consent decree entered Dec. 2009).Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.S. 2000z et seq) and Implementing Regulations, Making Religious Discrimination in Employment Unlawful, 22 A.L.R. Fed. 580, 602 (1975).