Religious discrimination is relatively common even if people don’t discuss it as much as other forms of discrimination. Small businesses and companies with uniform internal cultures can create abusive environments for those from different backgrounds.
Religious discrimination can occur because one employee follows a different faith than many of their co-workers or members of the leadership teams within the organization. Religious discrimination can also involve someone who doesn’t have any deeply-held religious beliefs. Workers can experience religious discrimination through a variety of different mechanisms. The following are some of the warning signs of religious discrimination on the job.
A refusal to provide accommodations
The bigger a business is, the easier it becomes to accommodate the religious observances of individual employees. If a worker needs to take certain holy days off from work or if they need to avoid working one day every week, employers can typically accommodate those scheduling requirements. When a business could work with an employee’s religion but flagrantly refuses to do so, that could constitute religious discrimination.
A hostile work environment
Particularly when most employees belong to one religion, they can become hostile towards someone with different beliefs or a lack of beliefs. Religious discrimination in the workplace can result in a truly hostile work environment in which coworkers openly abuse, mistreat or mock one employee because of their personal beliefs. Companies may turn a blind eye to such misconduct even if a worker reports their concerns. If enduring that abuse becomes a requirement of maintaining employment, then the worker’s experience of harassment may constitute illegal discrimination.
An unfair lack of opportunities
Sometimes, religious discrimination manifests not in overt refusals to accommodate a worker but rather in a lack of opportunities to develop their career. Perhaps workers from the same religion as the owner or manager get promoted ahead of someone with more experience and education. Perhaps only those who follow different faiths are subject to layoffs and terminations when the company downsizes. When those in positions of authority consider someone’s religion when making decisions about hiring, promotions or terminations, that can constitute illegal religious discrimination in the workplace.
Workers denied opportunities, mistreated by coworkers or prohibited from safely practicing their religions may need to fight back against the employment discrimination they’ve experienced. Recognizing warning signs of discrimination can help workers document their experiences and prepare to take action.
