Working for workplace religious belonging, inclusion & freedom

E-NEWS ACTION DONATE

Monthly Archives: October 2024

RFBF is an official stakeholder in APPG FoRB

16 Oct, 2024

The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) is an official stakeholder in the All Part Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB).

What is an All Party Parliamentary Group?

An All-Party Parliamentary Group is made up of Parliamentarians (MPs and Members of the House of Lords) who share a particular interest in a subject and wish to co-ordinate their work around this issue. They are informal, cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament and are not accorded any powers or funding by it; they should not be confused with select committees, which are formal institutions of the House.

In 2012 a Speakers’ Working Group noted that these groups “are an effective way for Members of both Houses to inform themselves about specific subjects, to respond to outside concerns, and to have direct contact with external audiences”.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has clearly stated that the defence of freedom of religion or belief worldwide is a priority for its work. Thus the issue of international freedom of religion or belief is very firmly on the Parliamentary agenda, and Parliamentarians have significant opportunities to support and advance this right.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on International Freedom of Religion or Belief was established in July 2012 with the following purpose:

“To raise awareness and profile of international freedom of religion or belief as a human right amongst parliamentarians, media, government and the general public in the UK; and to increase effectiveness and awareness of the UK’s contribution to international institutions charged with enforcing this human right.”

FoRB & Business at Parliament

16 Oct, 2024

Originally published by APPG FoRB*

In parliament, the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation held a meeting with companies from around the UK along with Jim Shannon MP, Baroness Verma (House of Lords) and Brendan O’Hara MP. After brief introductions from parliamentarians, each organisation shared how they were achieving the standards of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s innovative REDI Index. The REDI Index is a standard set for Religion Equity Diversity and Inclusion within organisations to encourage a more faith-inclusive working environment.

Jim Shannon MP opened the meeting with remarks on the importance of spreading a focus on religious freedom in business to new business sectors, creating new norms and making this issue a real priority for businesses across the United Kingdom and beyond. Baroness Verma also spoke about the important of being collectively inclusive of all faith groups and shaping the narrative around faith in the workplace differently than how it is often perceived (i.e. as a source of division, contention, and hidden agendas). Instead we can recognize that showing respect for religion in the workplace is part enabling employees to be their whole selves and give themselves more fully to their work.

Emma Pace of Baringa shared how they use kindness within the organisation to promote inclusivity, including setting up an interfaith network within the organisation and advertising these efforts on their website, whilst Alex Gold of OVO shared how they fostered a multifaceted culture of belonging across metrics like gender, neurodiversity, generation, and religion. Mr. Gold also discussed OVO’s efforts (as a retailer) to hold third-party providers accountable for respect for religion in the work place as well.

Bruce Owen spoke on behalf of Equinix, stating how when you talk about faith in business it encourages a space where people can do the very best work of their careers. We also heard from Oliver Pawle, Binna Kandola and Vinrod Subramanian on the various topics surrounding FoRB and Business.

Overall, takeaways included recalling the growing evidence that business success criteria like productivity and retention are demonstrably related to freedom of religious expression at work, and the importance for business leaders to assemble and discuss contemporary challenges more often, especially as there are growing misconceptions and tensions about religious expression in the workplace. Instead, with a full focus on creating space for employees to be their full selves across religious as well as other dimensions, we can create a culture and environment of peace and productivity.


* The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is one of the Largest APPG’s at Westminster. Our purpose is to raise the profile and the general awareness of international Freedom of Religion or Belief as a human right among parliamentarians, government, media and the general public. Learn more here.

REDI at the Canary Wharf Multifaith Chaplaincy’s EDI Forum

16 Oct, 2024

By Brian Grim

It was an honor to be the special guest at the Autumn gathering of the Canary Wharf Multifaith Chaplaincy’s EDI Forum hosted at JP Morgan Chase and attended by diversity leaders from half a dozen global financial organisations with offices at Canary Wharf.

I was able to give an overview of our Religious Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) Index, which is designed to support organisations looking to foster Faith Inclusion in the Workplace.

The EDI Forum is co-chaired by Nina Goswami (pictured taking the selfie), Head of Inclusion UK for Clifford Chance (one of the world’s largest law firms), and Alanna Harris, Lead Chaplain at  the Canary Wharf Multifaith Chaplaincy. The next REDI Index opens in January. Here’s the link for more information.

Image shows: Selfie with the forum attendees around a board table with a skyline view of London.

Antisemitism and Islamophobia in the Workplace, New Study

3 Oct, 2024

Pearn Kandola’s Antisemitism and Islamophobia at Work report (2024) is a comprehensive study in which over 1000 Muslim and Jewish employees participated, either through in-depth focus groups or their survey, to shine a light on their experiences of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the workplace since October 7th 2023.

Late last year, Pearn Kandola published their groundbreaking Religion At Work (2023) report, the largest of its kind. It explored the experiences of people of faith in the workplace, highlighting the difficulty for employees of any religion to express their faith at work.

Released in November 2023, a question they were increasingly faced with as time went on was the impact on Muslim and Jewish employees, in particular, since October 7th. However, the data for this momentous report was gathered and analysed before the current Israel-Gaza conflict, which could tell little to answer this question.

As a result, Pearn Kandola carried out a new piece of research, designed to look at the:

  • – Extent to which Jewish employees experience antisemitism in the workplace;
  • – Extent to which Muslim employees experience Islamophobia in the workplace;
  • – Impact of the Israel-Gaza conflict on them
  • – Actions that organisations can take to ensure people feel safe and included in workplaces

The research was in two parts:

Firstly, a survey was carried out in June 2024 in which 500 Jewish and 500 Muslim employees participated, followed by in-depth interviews with 20 people, 10 of each faith.

The report closes with key recommendations for employers to better support Muslim and Jewish employees by research author Professor Binna Kandola OBE.

To read the report, visit their website and enter your details to download a copy.