FOR KIM WOODS Only

COURSE PROJECT

1

Course Project – Religion in the Workplace

Background

I'm thinking that the paper should start with a introduction with the roles should be defined first. I.e. Employee, employer and other employees. Next should be the background of the situation i.e. Employee requests time off for religious purposes and there is push back from management. Next to follow is the company policy and procedures addressing this issue including interviews with hr staff. Local and federal guidelines on this issue. Conclusion including the companies final position and the response to the employee.

Literature Review

“Simply described, the courts have defined religion broadly to include both theistic (god-based) and nontheistic “moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong which are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views”(Adams, 2012).

“Employers should pay attention to the details of the communications because they could be deemed on notice of a religious conflict when they have learned about the need for an accommodation through sources other than the employee or applicant” (Fowler-Hermes & Gierbolini, 2014).

Effective communication in the work place is one if not the most critical component needed for a successful organization. “Written and spoken words are fundamental to communication, but tone, gestures, and body language also are part of the message. Listening is a vital element, since without it no real exchange can take place.” (Comstock, 2016) There is perfect means of communication, as everyone’s experiences, the way we interpret, and the context of in which communication is framed can change the intended message.

Normally, emotional intelligence encompasses the following: emotional empathy; recognition of one’s own and others’ moods; mood management or control over emotions; response with adaptive emotions; possession of good social skills and communication skills (courtesy, consideration, and respect); (Poskey, 2001). In principle, a manager with an elevated level of emotional intelligence can control his or her own impulses, communicates with others successfully, solves problems, and uses other means to relieve tension.

Attached is an article that I found that talks about effective communication in the diverse workplace.  It goes over a new model for effective communication due to a diverse workplace. It specifically talks about six microcommunication skills that can help managers communicate more effectively.  I think we can use this article in helping us determine a recommendation for how our manager can approach the colleague who asked for a religious holiday off. (Kikoski, J. F.,1998)

  I think that this reference would be a good one for our paper because it gives a clear understanding on the law on how religious holidays are dealt with. Under Title Vii of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Employers with 15 or more employees must make reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious observances. The article even states that the way the law is written in some states that employers of less than 15 employees have to allow the employee to observe the holiday. When employees that put in for the day off, the company has to allow the day off UNLESS the company can show that by allowing this employee to take this day off will cause the company undue hardship.

In the article there needs to be some sort of system to determine who get to take the day in the event several people want to observe the same holiday on the same day. The article also talks about time off, of course if the employee has PTO days then they should be required to use those however, in the event that an employee doesn’t have any days left then the company should either allow them to take UTO or allow a flex schedule. (SHRM,2017)

I believe that this article would be a good reference for our paper because this sites actual law cases that have tested Title VII. In this article there are several cases that show how different courts see the requirements for the law differently. Nonetheless in all the cases stated while a lower court may not have agreed that the employee was discriminated against, higher courts seems to overturn those findings. It appears that high courts have a different set of standards which I’m sure isn’t true but they seem to use a broader scope when deciding these cases. (Grishman, J., & Hutton, R. W., 2014)

“Religion is serious business for those of faith, those without, and employers who must balance increasingly complex issues, accommodations and conflicts.  This article covers fundamentals about religion in the workplace, employee rights, employer responsibilities and guidance on these complex issues” (Gregg, R. E., n.d.)

I chose this article because I believe this will give us a better understanding of how religion in the workplace should be handled effectively. The main part that stood out to me was the days of for religion purposes. 2. Provide time off to employees for religious reasons. Some religions dictate that worship must be offered at specific times and these times may interfere with a work day. Offer time off for these employees and be prepared to face some criticism from employees who do not share the same faith and feel slighted because they do receive the same treatment. Remind them that several religious holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, are typically offered as paid holidays. This ties into our paper seeing that we are touching on the topic of time off due to religious holiday. (McFarlin, K., n.d.).

Analysis

Conflict Resolution Recommendation

Reflection

References

Adams, R. J. (2012). Balancing Employee Religious Freedom in the Workplace with Customer Rights to a Religion-free Retail Environment. Business & Society Review (00453609), 117(3), 281-306. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8594.2012.00407.x

Comstock, N. W. (2016). Critical Skills Communications. Salem Press Encyclopedia, 3.

Fowler-Hermes, J., & Gierbolini, L. (2014). Religious Accommodation in the Workplace: The Devil is in the Detail. Florida Bar Journal, 88(5), 34.