Religious Discrimination in the Workplace: A Review and Examination of Current and Future Trends
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Religious Discrimination in the Workplace: A Review and Examination of Current and Future Trends Sonia Ghumman • Ann Marie Ryan • Lizabeth A. Barclay • Karen S. Markel
Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Abstract Purpose Over the last decade, religious discrimination claims have risen more rapidly compared to most other protected categories under the Civil Rights Act (CRA). The goal of this review paper is to summarize the psychological and HR practitioner-focused research on religious discrimination as it relates to the CRA to understand these religious discrimination claims. In doing so, this review also highlights what future research is needed, and what the challenges and practical implications of religious discrimination are for managers. Design/methodology/approach We conduct a systematic literature review of the psychology and business research on religious discrimination. Findings Building from the literature review and case law, we highlight four trends that contribute to religious discrimination in the workplace: (1) legal ambiguities, (2) increased religious diversity in the American workforce, (3) increasing expression of religious beliefs, and (4) the unique nature of religion. S. Ghumman (&) Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA e-mail: [email protected] A. M. Ryan Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA e-mail: [email protected] L. A. Barclay K. S. Markel School of Business Administration, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA e-mail: [email protected] K. S. Markel e-mail: [email protected]
Implications The trends identified in our review paper highlight the need for employers to understand and address religious discrimination issues in the workplace and the lack of empirical research in this area points to a critical gap in our understanding of workplace religious discrimination that warrants future research. Originality/value In addition to highlighting trends that contribute to religious discrimination in the workplace, this literature review addresses where there are gaps in the existing research that call for further research and offers practical implications for employers and organizations. Keywords Religious discrimination Civil rights act Religious diversity Religious harassment Religious accommodations Religious expression
According to the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (CRA) of 1964, discrimination on the basis of religion is prohibited. Employers are required to reasonably accommodate an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, and practices when the provisions of such an accommodation would not impose any undue hardship on the employer. However, religion is a nuanced protected category that is susceptible to many complications. To highlight some of these intricacies, imagine the following scenarios: Employees are required to indicate that they have been informed of and accept certain HR (Human Resources) policies. However, an employee refuses to sig
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