People who identify based on their faith or spirituality may be accommodated but not included. It is time to recognize that accommodation and inclusion are not the same thing.
-By Joseph Warren

There is an old saying about getting invited to the party versus being asked to dance. That saying could be a metaphor for diversity in which people are invited to join an organization versus inclusion in which they are allowed to fully participate in opportunities for learning, development and career growth.

Many organizations are better described as practicing diversity and accommodation, rather than diversity and inclusion. Diverse people join the workforce, but they are accommodated rather than included. For people who identify themselves as much by their faith, creed or spirituality as other people do by their ethnicity, race, gender, or sexual preference, accommodation has been the rule.

Now it is time to include, rather than merely accommodate, people of faith and spirituality, so they have a positive employee experience.

Duty to Accommodate
Ask the average person to describe the difference between accommodation and inclusion, and most will define the two concepts the same way. If an organization accommodates a person of faith, does it mean the person is included, too?

The answer is a resounding “No!” for important reasons. Accommodation in the workplace means the talent management system, policies and procedures, and work environment are designed to make it possible for diverse people to enjoy the same opportunities as people who are not diverse and to work in an environment that is as barrier free as possible.

Accommodation takes many forms. It is providing training in another language while an ethnic employee is still learning French or English; making a work area accessible to someone with a disability; and developing a policy that bans discrimination based on race, gender, sexual preference, disability or creed.

The duty to accommodate based on faith, creed, or spirituality means organizations do not force people to choose between observing beliefs and choosing employment. Specific accommodation for belief systems includes allowing days off for religious holidays, establishing a policy that avoids scheduling employer events during major religious holidays, honoring clothing requirements, being flexible in setting schedules when beliefs prohibit working on the Sabbath, and/or providing space for religious prayer observances.

Inclusion is About Substance and Quality
Accommodation requires employers to do the bare minimum to recognize the special needs of faith and spirituality. Inclusion is not accommodation because it is about the substance and quality of the employee’s experience.

Does the employee have a positive experience in the organization and is able to thrive in a respectful work environment? Does the organizational culture encourage open dialogue about beliefs so that other employees gain a greater understanding? Does management vigorously monitor and guide the organization so that day-to-day decisions and activities remain inclusive? Are people of different beliefs fully integrated and utilized?

Inclusion means people holding different beliefs get critical feedback like other employees so they can learn and develop. They get equal opportunities for mentoring, development, project teamwork and career growth. Recruiters and managers do not bypass qualified job candidates because they “look different” due to wearing special clothing or religious symbols.

Accommodation requires minimum changes and promotes tolerance. Inclusion requires commitment to ensuring all people in the workforce are engaged and have a work experience founded on mutual understanding and respect. This requires an honest employer effort because religious difference can lead to conflict in the workplace. Typical conflicts include people resenting peers wearing certain types of clothing, clashes between members of religious groups, conflict between members of religious groups and LGBT employees, and coworker resentment over accommodations in scheduling made for creed reasons.

There are many types of religions and creeds, too, and understanding the various perspectives and perceptions is challenging.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission re-evaluated its policy on addressing discrimination based on creed and protecting human rights because of increasing religious diversity that has brought the struggle of integration into society and workplaces into the open. In a country defined first as Christian, employers grew workforces with people who are Canadian Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews, Chinese, Hindus, Muslims and Aboriginals, leading to new forms of religious intolerance and the issue of “competing rights.”

Engaging People with Different Belief Systems
One of the things holding Canadian employers back from embracing inclusivity, by their own admission, is fear. They are afraid of holding conversations with employees about values and how, as employees, they can find meaning in their lives through their work effort. There is a fear of saying the wrong thing or of bringing difficult issues into the daylight where they must be addressed.

People who identify themselves by their faith, creed or spirituality do not leave their identity at the employer’s front door. Faith or beliefs are as much a part of them as a person as their skin color or gender, which can also not be shed at will. When employees feel excluded or resentment from coworkers or managers, a sense of isolation can develop. Isolation is disengagement, and research has shown that disengaged employees are less productive and more likely to leave the organization.

Developing a culture of inclusion for people with faith and spirituality differences brings many of the same benefits as inclusion for other diverse people. As the workforce grows increasingly diverse, it makes little sense to have whole groups of people feeling disengaged.

At the same time, the workforce is diversifying based on religion, but so is Canadian society. Customers have diverse religious identities, and diverse employees can help their employers better understand the markets.

Due to past history and the newness of the open discussion on faith and spirituality, employers are currently struggling to figure out what belief systems their employees hold. Not all employees formally request accommodation. They quietly struggle day-to-day.

Employee surveys can be helpful in getting the information needed to identify the belief systems and workplace issues, providing metrics and guiding strategy development to create a truly inclusive workforce. Strategies include valuing differences by offering religious diversity training; including religious diversity in diversity training for managers and supervisors; and active participation of the executive leaders in promoting a culture supportive of diverse belief systems.

Accommodation is important, but accommodation is not inclusion.