The Diversity Council Australia has today released a new resource to help Peel businesses make their workplace more inclusive.
The resource is designed to provide guidance to workplaces about how to deal with a range of common faith-related queries.
It will also provide workplaces with principles to help resolve issues of conflicting rights.
DCA's CEO Lisa Annese said they have developed their guide to elevate everyday conversations to respect and include everyone.
“Australia is more religiously diverse than ever, while at the same time we have more people of no-faith than ever before," Annese said.
“Workplaces are developing increasingly sophisticated diversity and inclusion policies, but when we consulted with our members about this issue, we heard that there was a lack of clarity about the legal landscape, and this was adversely impacting on their capacity to know how to best legally accommodate employee faith-related needs and requests.
"We know how powerful a tool inclusion is for workplaces... our research shows it has benefits for businesses and individuals."
The resource also sets out a framework for situations where staff may have particular religious needs which might conflict with work requirements.
“A common question we receive at DCA is how to handle situations where someone’s religious beliefs challenge another person’s belief or identity, especially if this has an impact on the needs of the business," Annese said.
“There are no simple answers, but DCA has developed a framework to help navigate some of these situations, based on the principle of inclusion – ensuring that all employees are respected, connected, and able to contribute and progress."
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