KNOXVILLE—Religion in the workplace will be the topic of a workshop this month by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Religious Studies.
The workshop, “Religion in the Workplace and the World: A Training Seminar for East Tennessee Professionals,” will be held October 24 at UT’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy. The event is open to the public, and the $50 registration fee includes lunch and refreshments.
The training seminar is for human resources professionals, managers and business owners to help them build cultural diversity in their workplaces and with their business clients.
In the face of globalization, changing economic realities, demographic shifts, and religious pluralization, increasing awareness about religion in the workplace has proven to help create a harmonious professional environment. This field of study is attracting growing interest from academics, management scholars, human resources professionals, legal experts and the media.
Rosalind Hackett, head of the religious studies department and organizer of the workshop, says the cultural competence skills they teach are critical for managers in an age of cultural diversity.
“We know that workplace claims of discrimination based on religion are second only to sexual harassment,” Hackett said. “Managers and supervisors need to understand how to balance the various rights and obligations of religious practices, observances, and beliefs among their employees.”
In order to help professionals in East Tennessee achieve that balance, the day-long workshop will offer the following:
- an overview of the legal framework related to religion in the workplace;
- a basic understanding of the way that diverse religious practices may manifest themselves in the workplace; and
- guidance on how and when to reasonably accommodate those expressions.
For more information or to register for the workshop, call UT Conferences at 865-974-0280, e-mail conferences@utk.edu, or visit the website.
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Contact:
Rosalind Hackett (865-974-2466, rhackett@utk.edu)
Charles Primm (865-974-5180, charles.primm@tennessee.edu)