Dare to Overcome 2024 returns to New Delhi this December to celebrate global best practices that foster inclusivity in workplaces. Join us in critical and relevant conversations that reinforce the need for intercultural empathy amongst the workforce.
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“When you have a society where people respect each other’s right to believe and behave according to their beliefs, then you have the recipe for a peaceful and prosperous society, and in that condition, normal business can thrive.”
In the latest episode of the Religion at Work podcast, host Professor Binna Kandola OBE is joined by Brian Grim, President and Founder of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation to discuss:
We hope you enjoy listening!
Watch this engaging panel discussion with input from two speakers from the Jewish and Muslim communities who will talk about what their faith means to their identity and the way it’s expressed in their workplace, along with input from two employers – Grosvenor and Direct Line Group, touching on the following:
Also, check out our special Faith@Work resource for Interfaith Week:
We look forward to seeing you.
The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities
Issued by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
SHRM creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers, and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener, and thought leader on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces. More than 95% of Fortune 500 companies rely on SHRM to be their go-to resource for all things work and their business partner in creating next-generation workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally.
Brian Grim speaks on plenary addressing: Accommodation of religion and belief in the working environment: contemporary challenges in the public and the private sectors.
The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) is an official stakeholder in the All Part Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB).
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.”
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.
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.
