Welcome to Module 3 of the NCC Equality

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• Welcome to Module 3 of the NCC Equality
  Diversity Programme
• Religion and Belief

PowerPoint Presentation
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• Welcome to the third briefing in the Challenging
  Inequality programme. This briefing has been
  especially written for everyone working for
  Nottinghamshire County Council.
• The first two briefings covered age and race
  equality.
• In this briefing we are going to look at
• Religion and Belief

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By the end of this briefing you will Understand
how the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief)
Regulations 2003 affect you. Be able to describe
the key equality and diversity issues that
surround religion or belief. Recognise how a
better understanding of religious beliefs can
help us to deliver better services to all of our
customers.
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• After completing this briefing and listening to
  the
• Talking Heads audio you will have the
  opportunity to discuss this topic further with
  your line manager and colleagues.

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• Why this briefing is important?
• There are many different religions and beliefs.
  What they have in common is their importance to
  their followers and their influence on how we
  live our lives.
• Our beliefs shape our sense of who we are, where
  we come from and our relationships with each
  other.
• They influence what we do and what we think about
  the world. They help us understand and provide
  support at times of joy and sorrow, life and
  death.
• It is no wonder why we all feel so strongly about
  matters of belief.

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• There is also a lot of variation as to how people
  observe their religion or beliefs.
• It may influence how they dress or what they eat.
  
• They may follow their faith privately or as part
  of community and attending formal places of
  worship.
• There may be certain rituals to be observed at
  particular times and important dates for special
  ceremonies.
• Not only do these vary from one faith to another,
  there are many variations within each of the
  major religions too.

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• While all this can look and sound very different
  and makes us appear different from other people
  often, our reasons for following a particular
  religion or holding a particular set of beliefs
  are, in many ways, common to us all.
• So, to ensure that we are delivering excellent
  customer service and service provision, we ALL
  need an awareness of and respect for other
  faiths.
• The aim of this briefing is to raise your
  awareness about religion and belief and how this
  affects us all at work.

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• This briefing is made up of four parts
• What do we mean by religion and belief?
• The law
• What are the common religions?
• What does this mean for us at work?

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• Part One
• What do we mean by Religion and Belief?

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What do we mean by religion or belief?
This briefing is based on the Employment
Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003.
What kinds of belief do you think the
Regulations cover?
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What do we mean by religion or belief?
The Regulations cover any religion, religious
belief, or similar belief. Similar belief
includes such beliefs as paganism, atheism,
humanism and pacifism. This is a broad
definition, so what beliefs are covered by the
Regulations are determined by cases brought to
tribunals.
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What beliefs are covered by the Regulations?
Patriotic Beliefs
Political Beliefs
People without religious beliefs
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What beliefs are covered by the Regulations?
An American working at Victoria Station was
sacked for sewing the American flag to his
reflective vest. This was in breach of health
and safety regulations. He claimed unfair
dismissal on the grounds that he had a right to
his patriotic belief. An Employment Tribunal
ruled that the dismissal was legal, as his
loyalty to his country is not a belief within
the meaning of the Regulations. Williams v South
Central Limited (2004)
Patriotic Beliefs
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What beliefs are covered by the Regulations?
Issues that tribunals take into account include
collective worship, clear belief system and a
profound belief affecting your view of the world.
Recent changes in the law have widened the
scope of the Regulations to include political
beliefs in the future.
Political Beliefs
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What beliefs are covered by the Regulations?
The Regulations provide protection to people
without religious or similar belief, and
therefore it is not legal to treat someone less
favourably because they do not have a religious
or similar belief.
People without religious beliefs
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• Part Two
• The Law

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• In previous modules you learnt about the law and
• Direct discrimination
• Indirect discrimination
• Harassment
• Lets have a look at discrimination first of all.

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Can you think of an example of direct and
indirect discrimination?
Direct Discrimination?
Indirect Discrimination?
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Can you think of an example of direct and
indirect discrimination?
Direct Discrimination
Being refused a job because you are a Hindu even
though you have all the necessary skills.
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Can you think of an example of direct and
indirect discrimination?
Having a dress code that does not allow men to
wear ponytails or headwear. This policy would
disadvantage Sikh workers who wear turbans for
religious reasons and Hindu men who wear a small
knot of hair at the back of the head as a symbol
of their belief.
Indirect Discrimination
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However indirect discrimination will not be
unlawful if it can be justified. To justify it,
an employer must show that there is a real
business need and that the practice is
proportionate and there is no alternative means
available. For example, where, for safety or
hygiene reasons certain protective headgear or
hair coverings are needed to perform the job.
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Something to think about!

• It is as unlawful to discriminate against a
  person for NOT holding a specific religion or
  belief as it is to discriminate against someone
  for actually holding to or subscribing to a
  particular religion or belief.

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• A member of staff, devout in her belief,
  continually refers to her colleagues as
  heathens and warns them of the consequences
  they may suffer as a result of their lack of
  belief.
• Distressed by her intimidating behaviour, her
  colleagues complain to their manager that they
  are being harassed.
• Is this harassment? What do you think?

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• The harassment is unlawful.
• It is directed at work colleagues because they
  have different beliefs or no beliefs.

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• How about Mr A who is continually teased about
  his partners religious convictions. He finds
  being subjected to such teasing offensive and
  distressing and complains to his manager. His
  manager tells him not to be silly, that the
  teasing is only harmless workplace banter and is
  nothing to do with the organisation.
• Is this harassment? What do you think?

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• This is harassment even though it is not the
  victims own religion or belief that is the
  subject of the teasing.
• Mr A is able to complain through Employment
  Tribunal. His colleagues may have to pay
  compensation. The organisation may also have to
  pay compensation because it has a liability for
  the actions of its staff.

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Why is it important for us to understand the
law?

• It will
• help us to accept and show respect for other
  faiths.
• help everyone to have an equal opportunity to
  work and develop their skills.
• create a positive working environment in which we
  all benefit and fulfil our potential.
• Support flexibility to enable team members to
  observe religious festivals.
• Eliminate discrimination in the workplace.

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• Part Three
• What are the common religions?

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• So, lets find out more about the many different
  religions and beliefs that exist.
• Clearly, religious writings and teachings are too
  vast to cover in detail here so, in this guide
  we aim to highlight some key points.
• Lets find out more

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• There are lots of different religions. How many
  can you identify in one minute?
• Start your time now..

How did you do?
Go to the next slide to see how many we
identified
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Buddhism
Hinduism
Christianity
Click on the next few slides to find out more
Islam (Muslims)
Sikhism
Judaism (Jews))
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Christianity

• Christians believe that there is one God, the
  creator and sustainer of everything, whose nature
  has been shown most clearly through the life of
  Jesus Christ.
• Churches Together in Nottinghamshire, provides an
  umbrella network for Christian groups.
• Website www.churchestogethernottinghamshire.org.
  uk

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Buddhism

• Buddhists believe that there is no permanent,
  immortal soul. We are collections of
  ever-changing elements like feeling and
  perceptions. After death, these elements are
  reborn into a new life, according to the good and
  bad deeds of past lives.
• Nottingham Buddhist Centre, 9 St. Marys Place,
  The Lace Market, Nottingham, NG1 1PH, Tel 0115
  956 1008.
• Website www.nottinghambuddhistcentre.org

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Hindu

• Hindus believe that Atman is the spirit present
  in all life, the energy that activates the body.
  It is eternal after death it is reborn as
  another creature.
• Due to karma, the universal principle of actions
  and their consequences, past actions determine
  the nature of new life.
• There is one Hindhu temple in Greater Nottingham.
• For more information contact Hindu Temple, 215
  Carlton Road, Nottingham, NG3 2FX, Telephone
  0115 9113384,
• Web site www.hindutemple.org.uk

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Islam

• Muslims believe in one God, called Allah.
• He is merciful and powerful, the creator and
  sustainer of the universe, and has prescribed
  Islam as the correct way of life for people.
• There are 12 mosques and masjids (Muslim place of
  worship) in Greater Nottingham, mostly in the NG7
  area .
• For more information contact Islamic Centre, 3
  Curzon Street, Nottingham, NG3 1DG, Telephone
  0115 9590001.

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Judaism

• Jews believe that there is only one God, who
  created the world and extended justice,
  compassion and love to all people. His ways can
  be known and He is close to his people, but He is
  awe-inspiring and beyond understanding.
• There are 2 synagogues (Jewish place of worship)
  in Greater Nottingham.
• For more information contact
• Orthodox Synagogue, Shakespeare Villas,
  Shakespeare St., Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, Telephone
  0115 9476663.
• Progressive Synagogue, Lloyds St., Sherwood,
  Nottingham, NG5 4BT, Telephone [phone].

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Sikhism

• Sikhs believe in one God, who can be experienced
  but is beyond human understanding and never takes
  human form.
• There are many names for God The most common in
  worship is Waheguru (wonderful lord).
• There are six gurdwaras (Sikh place of worship)
  in Greater Nottingham, mostly in the NG7 area.
• For more information contact The Sikh Temple
  (Gurdwara), 26 Nottingham Road, Nottingham, NG7
  7EA, Tel [phone].

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Other religions
Ancient Religions e.g. Druidry, Paganism Wicca
Jainism
Zoroastrians (Parsi)
Keen to know more? Click on the next slide for
some useful website links
Bahai
Brahma Kumaris
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Rasta- farianism
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Other religions Useful website links
Jainism http//www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions
/jainism/ Ancient Religions http//www.bbc.co.uk
/religion/religions/paganism/subdivisions/wicca.sh
tmltop Brahmahttp//www.brahmakumaris.org.uk/Not
tingham/ Quakershttp//www.quaker.org.uk/ Rastafa
rianismhttp//www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/faith/rast
afarian.shtml BahaIhttp//www.bahai.org.uk Zoroa
strians http//www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article
/0,4273,3847462,00.html
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Other religions Useful website links
Nottingham Inter Faith Council www.interfaithno
ttm.org.uk Multifaith Centre www.multifaithne
t.org
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There are many religious festivals - far too
many for one slide! Which ones do YOU know about
that are happening in the next month? To find out
more, visit www.bbc.co.uk/religion/tools/calendar

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• What are the religious beliefs of people in
  Nottinghamshire?

A UK census in 2001 asked people in the Greater
Nottingham area to identify their religious
belief. What religion did most people state?
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71.3 of people who responded to the census
stated Christian
0.3
0.3
Hindu
0.7
0.2
Buddhist
Other
Jewish
23.4
1.0
Muslim
2.8
Sikh
No religion
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• Part Four
• What does this mean for us at work?

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• What do the Regulations mean for us at work?

As an employer and as a provider of services we
want to comply with the law not because we have
to but because we want to as we believe it is
the right thing to do. The following slides will
give you a few pointers on what we are expected
to do as employees
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Attracting The Best People

• Care needs to be taken that methods of
  recruitment and selection criteria do not
  prevent people from applying because of their
  religion or belief.

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Attracting The Best People

• At the interview, questions should be asked to
  check for the skills and competencies needed for
  the post.
• Here are some good practice guidelines.

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• Good Practice Guidelines
• Any questions not obviously related to the post
  may be perceived as providing a basis for
  discrimination.
• So, just as we should not ask or be asked
  irrelevant questions relating to marital status,
  or child care arrangements, there should be no
  irrelevant questions about religion or belief
  such as ones about place or frequency of worship,
  communal involvement, or religious ethos of
  educational establishments attended.

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Retaining Good People

• Opportunities for promotion and training should
  be made known to all staff and be available to
  everyone on a fair and equal basis.
• Whilst organisations should be sensitive to the
  needs of their staff, staff also have a
  responsibility to ensure they raise awareness of
  their individual needs.

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Retaining Good People

• Training is an excellent way to enhance
  performance and retain good people
• To avoid disadvantaging someone because of their
  religion when training, what adjustments do we
  consider?
• Click on the picture to find out more

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Retaining Good People

• Training is an excellent way to enhance
  performance and retain good people
• To avoid disadvantaging someone because of their
  religion when training, what do you need to
  consider?
• Click on the picture to find out more

• As an organisation we try to
• Cater for special dietary requirements, for
  example kosher, halal and vegetarian food
  remember to update your profile on LDS so we are
  aware of your needs
• Avoid ice breakers and training activities that
  use language or physical contact that might be
  inappropriate for some beliefs
• Avoid exercises that require the exchange of
  very personal information
• Make sure that related social activities do not
  exclude people by choice of venue
• Avoid significant religious festivals such as
  Ramadan wherever possible

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Retaining Good People

• Employees should understand that if they harass
  their colleagues, they could be personally liable
  and may have to pay compensation in addition to
  anything that the organisation may have to pay.
• Raising awareness and understanding of different
  religions and beliefs can promote a productive
  working environment.

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Religious Observance In The Workplace

• Many religions or beliefs have special festivals
  or spiritual observance days
• Any requests for time off work in order to
  celebrate festivals or attend ceremonies should
  be considered sympathetically
• For more information, see the NCC Guidelines on
  Religious Leave.

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Religious Observance In The Workplace

• Some religions or beliefs have specific dietary
  requirements. If employees bring food to the
  workplace, they may need to store and heat food
  separately from other food.
• It is good practice to consult your employees on
  such issues and find a mutually acceptable
  solution to any dietary problems.

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Religious Observance In The Workplace

• A worker who, for religious reasons, is
  vegetarian felt unable to store her lunch next to
  meat sandwiches belonging to a co-worker.
• Following consultation with the staff a policy
  was introduced by which all food must be stored
  in sealed containers and shelves were separately
  designated meat and vegetarian.
• This arrangement met the needs of all staff.

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Religious Observance In The Workplace

• Some religions require their followers to pray
  at specific times during the day.
• Employers are not required to provide a prayer
  room. However, if a quiet place is available and
  allowing its use for prayer does not cause
  problems for other workers or the business,
  organisations should agree to the request.
• It is good practice to consult with employees
  and to consider whether there is anything
  reasonable and practical which can be done to
  help employees meet the ritual requirement of
  their religion.

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Getting To Know Each Other!

• It will be beneficial for us all to understand
  the religious observances of our colleagues to
  avoid embarrassment or difficulties for those
  practicing their religious obligations.
• However, please be sensitive to peoples views
  about their religion and dont make assumptions
  about their personal beliefs.

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Where can I go for more information?

• Nottingham Interfaith Council www.interfaithnottm
  .org.uk
• Local group seeking to share knowledge and
  promote understanding of the beliefs and
  practices of different faiths and the importance
  of spiritual aspects of life
• Multifaith Centre http//www.multifaithnet.org
• A self-access research, learning, information and
  dialogue tool, providing updated access to global
  electronic resources and interactions useful for
  study of world religious traditions and
  communities and the practice of inter-faith
  dialogue
• ACAS http//www.acas.org.uk
• An independent publicly funded organisation
  their aim is to improve working life through
  better employment relations

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• Remember our policies and procedures can only go
  so far it is our behaviours and attitudes to
  other people that make the real difference.

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So, a few questions to think about Do we, at
NCC, value each person as an individual? Do we
accept and respect each persons religion or
belief? Do we really understand (and utilise) the
benefits that a diverse and inclusive workplace
brings to our organisation? Is there more that
NCC needs to do? What more can you do?
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• Next Steps
• Listen to the Talking Heads audio Multiple
  Breaks
• Then, reflect on what we have covered so far
• What religion belief related issues do you
  experience
• within your team/service?
• with your service-users?
• Discuss your thoughts with your line
• Manager.
• (Your line manager will lead this discussion
  during team meetings or
  1-2-1s)

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• One Final Question.

In your opinion, at this time, are individuals
within the authority experiencing discrimination
due to their religion or belief? A) Yes B) No C)
Not sure
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• Thank You.

You have now completed this briefing note.