March of 2024 holds religious significance to many of the world’s religions. Muslims begin the holy month of Ramadan. This is a time when Muslims fast to honor the first writing of the Quran. Hindu’s celebrate Holi on March 25. Holi is a festival of new beginnings. Jews celebrate Purim on March 23. At the end of March Christians will celebrate Easter. With all these religious holidays this month we in HR need to be aware that is can also cause tensions in the workplace. The EEOC has recently released an infographic reminding employers that religious discrimination is illegal under Title VII. The infographic contains the following:
• Treating an employee adversely based on the assumption that the individual holds certain views because of their religion, national origin, or race.
• Forcing someone to abandon, alter or adopt a religious practice as a condition of employment.
• Segregating an employee from a customer-facing position due to their religious or ethnic dress, including a hijab, yarmulke, or turban.
• Sharing certain symbols of violence or hatred such as a swastika, toward individuals with the same protected characteristics.
• Failing to reasonably grant an employee’s religious accommodations, such as time off for an observance or another religious practice, as long as the request doesn’t cause an undue hardship for the employer.
We at Savio HR Solutions can provide suggestions to help ease tensions in the workplace. So, go ahead and pick up the phone and give us a call-we are here to help.