Supporting Colleagues’ Religion and Belief
Internal, Supporting Colleagues’ Religion and Belief, Version1, Page 1 of 7
Where to find things. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 3
1.
What is religion and belief? .............................................................................................................................. 3
2.
What should I be aware of? .............................................................................................................................. 3
3.
What is an inclusive workplace? ...................................................................................................................... 3
4.
What are our legal obligations? ....................................................................................................................... 3
5.
What should I be aware of if I am recruiting? ..................................................................................................3
6.
What are my responsibilities as a manager? ................................................................................................... 4
7.
Other things that it might be helpful to know. ................................................................................................ 4
Guide information. ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Guide owner:
[email protected] ................................................................................................ 6 Ownership and confidentiality ................................................................................................................................ 6
Internal, Supporting Colleagues’ Religion and Belief, Version1, Page 2 of 7
Introduction
opinion outside of work they must not let it impact their ability to do their job, affect their working relationships or
This guide gives you more information about supporting
influence their decisions in any way.
religion and belief, which is one of the nine protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act and covered
Any form of discrimination or harassment will not be
by UK Law.
tolerated.
This guide highlights some of the things
This form of behaviour is considered to be
which may be helpful to know if you work with or manage
gross misconduct and may result in disciplinary action
someone who has religious or other beliefs.
being taken against you; up to and including dismissal.
1.
3.
What is religion and belief?
What is an inclusive workplace?
Belief can be either religious belief, non-belief or any
An inclusive workplace is one where everyone is treated
other kind of belief that a person has, for example, a
with dignity and respect. Where the talents and skills of
belief in protecting the environment.
different people are the thing that’s most valued and
2.
What should I be aware of?
It’s important to remember that while some colleagues will be ‘open’ and happy to talk about their particular beliefs, others will want to keep them private and it’s important that we respect that. We should never make assumptions about anyone’s particular belief, their practices or about what someone does or doesn’t believe in or make comments about anyone’s religion or belief. Colleagues who share religious or other beliefs can follow different practices, observances or customs and you need to be mindful and sensitive to this, for example someone who belongs to a particular religion which has special dietary requirements may choose to follow these very strictly, whilst another may choose not to follow them at
where
productivity
and
customer
service
improve
because the work force is happier, more motivated and more aware of the benefits that inclusion can bring. In inclusive companies individuals who have different religious or non-religious beliefs are all able to be themselves,
without
recrimination.
Everyone should feel comfortable about
fear
of
discrimination
or
participating in conversations and sharing their view on different subjects without the fear of abuse, unwanted jokes or comments being made.
4.
What are our legal obligations?
We have a legal obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to make sure our working environment is free from any form of discrimination or harassment including those on the grounds of race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin.
all. Any cases of discrimination can end up in an employment We all have a responsibility to maintain an inclusive
tribunal and cause serious damage to our business and
workplace which allows colleagues, regardless of their
its reputation. We are committed to promoting a culture
religion or belief, to feel that they are respected and
of equality across the business and ensuring that our
valued as individuals.
business and its policies and processes don’t discriminate against any individual or group of employees.
We should always work towards ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and promote a culture
For more information see the Equal opportunities and
that recognises there is value in working in a diverse
diversity policy.
environment.
5. Having diverse teams workforce means we have different
What should I be aware of if I am recruiting?
people with different opinions, which everyone is entitled to have. However there are groups within our society
The right to be treated equally begins as soon as a
who have differing views, and whilst this may be their
prospective colleague reads a job advert or accesses our
Internal, Supporting Colleagues’ Religion and Belief, Version1, Page 3 of 7
online job search. All candidates are screened on their
Always work to ensure that everyone in your team is
relevant experience and the skills they can bring to the
treated with dignity and respect and that the colleagues
role.
respect each other’s beliefs or non-belief recognising there is business value working in a diverse environment.
As part of the recruitment process we ask all candidates
It’s also important not to force anyone to participating in
to complete an equal opportunities monitoring form. This
something they don’t believe in or aren’t comfortable with.
information is kept for monitoring purposes only and is stored separately from your application. This information
If you hear comments or see any behaviour which you
won’t be seen by or shared with the hiring manager.
think is discriminatory or amounts to bullying or harassment you should deal with it in an appropriate
If you are going to view someone’s social media profile as
manner. This type of behaviour will not be tolerated and
part of the screening process you should tell the
is considered to be gross misconduct and if you fail to
candidate first and give them the opportunity to update
deal with it, then disciplinary action may also be taken
their profile in advance. You should also make sure that
against you.
you view all profiles (or everyone that has one) not just a select few to make sure that everyone is treated fairly. By
Banter
viewing someone’s profile you may discover someone’s religion, belief, ethnic or national origin or make an
Banter is often light hearted with no offence intended, but
assumption about it, sometimes unconsciously.
You
what can be funny to some may be offensive to others. If
should remember that someone’s religion or belief is
you feel the banter within your team is inappropriate
confidential to them and should not be discussed or
speak to the individuals concerned and ask them to stop
speculated about with anyone else. Remember not to let
making the comments, and if necessary speak to your
what you see unconsciously influence your decision.
People Manager/Partner for advice about how to deal with the issue. If a complaint has been raised you must
Also remember that most social media sites allow you to
speak to your People Manager/Partner about how to deal
see who has viewed your profile so a potential candidate
with this.
may know that you’ve viewed their profile.
Questions
about a candidates religion, belief, ethnic or national
Any religions or belief reference need to be dealt with,
origin
even if it isn’t intended to be offensive, for example,
should
never
be
interview/assessment process.
asked
during
the
If the information is
making fun of someone for not eating meat.
volunteered, you shouldn’t question this any further, use it to evaluate the candidates or make your final decision. To help protect us against any claims of discrimination notes from all interviews/assessments should be kept for at least 12 months at which point they can be destroyed
7.
Other things that it might be helpful to know.
Alcohol Some colleagues may not drink alcohol because of their religion or belief and you need to be mindful of this. If
confidentially.
you’re organising a work or work related social event always ensure there are non-alcoholic drinks available.
6.
What are my responsibilities as a manager?
Some colleagues because of their beliefs may not feel comfortable going somewhere like a pub or area dominated by alcohol so make sure you consider all
Your responsibility is to ensure that all of our colleagues
options so you don’t exclude anyone.
are treated fairly when it comes to accessing training and development, employment procedures and benefits,
Because of their religion or belief some colleagues may
workplace events and activities and their day to day
not be able to buy alcohol and will not be able to
interactions with colleagues and customers.
contribute to a collection where the proceeds are being
Internal, Supporting Colleagues’ Religion and Belief, Version1, Page 4 of 7
used to purchase alcohol even if it’s for a gift e.g. birthday
if anyone has any special dietary requirements and
present.
ensure these can be accommodated.
If you are buying gifts for other colleagues, for example at
Prayer
Christmas, please make sure the gift is appropriate.
Regular or specific prayer or meditation time can be an
Bereavement
important part of a colleague’s belief and some
Some religions and beliefs have particular periods of
colleagues may ask to take their breaks at certain times
mourning after the death of a close friend or relative or
to enable them to pray. You should consider all these
customs around how soon someone is buried.
requests very carefully and try to accommodate them
Our
normal bereavement policy should be followed, however
where you can.
if an extended period of time off is needed to observe a
you’re unable to accept it for business reasons; if this is
mourning period or to travel overseas to attend a funeral,
the case make sure you fully explain the reason for this to
you should talk to the colleague about how this time will
the colleague and discuss any alternatives.
be taken.
You should only refuse a request if
They may be able to use their holiday
entitlement or take a period of unpaid leave. If you need
In some sites/stores quiet rooms are available to use to
further advice on this please speak to your People
pray or meditate. If you’re unsure whether your site/store
Manager/Partner.
has one please speak to your People Manager/Partner.
Dress code
Preferred product handling
Some people may choose or be required to dress in a
If a colleague refuses to handle certain products for
certain way as part of their religious or other belief and in
religious or other belief reasons, we should listen to the
most cases this can be accommodated.
reasons why and then see if it’s possible to accommodate the colleague’s request(s).
Any decision to refuse the
As the majority of our colleagues are supplied with a
request should fully be explained to the colleague and
uniform we have additional guidance on how this can be
documented, including the fact that as we’re a retailer,
adapted to meet any requirements they may have.
our main purpose is to sell items such as cooked and raw
Please see Appendix A for more information.
meat, alcohol and lottery tickets.
Please
note that this list may not cover all circumstances and if a colleague is requesting to wear/or not to wear certain
If we are able to we should also check to see if there is
items please speak to your People Manager/Partner in
another vacancy in store/site which would accommodate
the first instance.
their request and if we can move the colleague into that role.
Fasting Some colleagues may observe a time of fasting as part of
Physical contact
their religion or belief and this may be on a given day,
Some religions and beliefs have rules around physical
date or for an extended time for example fasting in
contact, especially with the opposite sex. It’s important
daylight hours during Ramadan. If you have a colleague
that you are sensitive to this, and set expectations
who you know is fasting it may be helpful to talk to them
accordingly with your team. If you’re unsure whether to
about how you can best support them, especially if they
initiate physical contact, try to use another gesture rather
are fasting for an extended period of time or need to
than
break their fast at specific times of the day.
concerned.
Food and dietary requirements
Special days and celebrations
Some people may avoid particular types of food or follow
Many religions or beliefs have special days and
a special diet and that can be a very important part of
celebrations for example holy days or festivals like Diwali.
their religion or other beliefs. If you’re organising a work
The dates of some of these like Wesak may change from
related event, or even catering for a meeting, always ask
year to year whilst others will be the same date each year
making
the
situation
uncomfortable
for
all
for example, Christmas. Colleagues may want to take Internal, Supporting Colleagues’ Religion and Belief, Version1, Page 5 of 7
holiday or unpaid leave to attend or celebrate certain
appropriate and whether they are planning to attend.
events and it’s important that we consider all requests for
This way you can make sure your plans suit everyone
time off in a fair and consistent manner. It’s a good idea
concerned and that you’re not excluding anyone.
to remind and encourage colleagues to make any holiday requests as early as possible and that requests for time
Related Reading
off will be considered on a first come first served basis. You should try and accommodate requests where you
Disciplinary Policy
can, however if it’s not possible it’s important to explain
Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy
why and talk through any other options available – for
Grievance Policy
example swapping a shift with another colleague.
Supporting Disabled Colleagues Supporting Colleagues’ – Age, Race, Sex and Marriage
To help you anticipate any requests for time off due to
and Civil Partnership
religious beliefs take a look at the interfaith calendar
Supporting Trans Colleagues
(http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/) which includes some
Supporting Colleagues’ Sexual Orientation
of the dates which are important to different religions.
Northern Ireland Equality Statement
Work events If you’re arranging a work event, talk to any colleagues concerned about your plans, what type of event might be
Guide information. Version No.
Date of change
Summary of change
1
8th February 2016
Updated document
Guide owner:
[email protected] Ownership and confidentiality This document shouldn’t be shared with anyone externally without permission from your Director. This policy and any associated documentation remains the property of Tesco and should be returned if requested.
Appendix A – Dress Code Additional Guidance Religion/Culture Islam
Acceptable Differences Muslim women are required to cover their head and wear loose clothing. The shape of their bodies should not be evident through their clothes. A loose dress could be worn over the top of the uniform blouse/polo top and trousers, this must be navy and provided by the individual. A headscarf (Hijab) may be worn to conceal the hair and neck; this sometimes has a veil that covers the face but the eyes must be visible. A headscarf should be a solid colour (with no pattern), which is co-ordinated with the uniform (the colour is dependent upon the department in which the colleague works), an option of navy, red, black or green to compliment the uniform provided. Some men may wear a prayer hat.
Hinduism
It’s not acceptable for Hindu women to have uncovered legs and women can choose uniform trousers to ensure legs are covered. Internal, Supporting Colleagues’ Religion and Belief, Version1, Page 6 of 7
Hindu women may wear glass bangles when they get married and this is only removed if their husband dies. Some married women wear a coloured spot on their forehead (Bindi) or a red streak in their hair parting, Sikhism
Most traditional Sikh men have long hair, worn under a turban. The turban is supplied by the individual and should be a solid colour (with no pattern), which is co-ordinated with the uniform (the colour is dependent upon the department in which the colleague works), an option of navy, red, black or green to compliment the uniform provided. It should be remembered that other faiths may also wear a form of turban. If they are devout they may also carry other articles such as a comb, steel bracelet and a small sword.
Judaism
Orthodox Jewish men wear a (skullcap) small cap at all times. The cap should be a solid colour (with no pattern), which is co-ordinated with the uniform (the colour is dependent upon the department in which the colleague works), an option of navy, red, black or green to compliment the uniform provided. Orthodox Jewish women may choose to cover their hair with a headscarf or wig.
Buddhism
Buddhists wear clothes of light colours, red, purple and orange. Buddhists do not wear wool, silk or leather clothes because it is forbidden to kill animals. The Tesco uniform is not made of wool, silk or leather and feedback from Buddhist colleagues tell us the colour of our uniform is acceptable.
Rastafarianism
Rastafarian men and women do not cut their hair, they wear it in long locks, known as dreadlocks. The wearing of dreadlocks should be allowed, but they must be tied back off the face as with any hair longer than shoulder length.
