1 / 63

Welcome to Module 3 of the NCC Equality & Diversity Programme Religion and Belief

Welcome to Module 3 of the NCC Equality & Diversity Programme Religion and Belief. PowerPoint Presentation. Welcome to the third briefing in the ‘Challenging Inequality’ programme. This briefing has been especially written for everyone working for Nottinghamshire County Council.

Télécharger la présentation

Welcome to Module 3 of the NCC Equality & Diversity Programme Religion and Belief

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Welcome to Module 3 of the NCC Equality & Diversity Programme Religion and Belief PowerPoint Presentation

  2. Welcome to the third briefing in the ‘Challenging Inequality’ programme. This briefing has been especially written for everyone working for Nottinghamshire County Council. The first two briefings covered age and raceequality. In this briefing we are going to look at : • Religion and Belief

  3. By the end of this briefing you will: Understand how the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 affect you. Be able to describe the key equality and diversity issues that surround religion or belief. Recognise how a better understanding of religious beliefs can help us to deliver better services to all of our customers.

  4. After completing this briefing and listening to the ‘Talking Heads’ audio you will have the opportunity to discuss this topic further with your line manager and colleagues.

  5. Why this briefing is important? There are many different religions and beliefs. What they have in common is their importance to their followers and their influence on how we live our lives. Our beliefs shape our sense of who we are, where we come from and our relationships with each other. They influence what we do and what we think about the world. They help us understand and provide support at times of joy and sorrow, life and death. It is no wonder why we all feel so strongly about matters of belief.

  6. There is also a lot of variation as to how people observe their religion or beliefs. It may influence how they dress or what they eat. They may follow their faith privately or as part of community and attending formal places of worship. There may be certain rituals to be observed at particular times and important dates for special ceremonies. Not only do these vary from one faith to another, there are many variations within each of the major religions too.

  7. While all this can look and sound very different and makes us appear different from other people – often, our reasons for following a particular religion or holding a particular set of beliefs are, in many ways, common to us all. So, to ensure that we are delivering excellent customer service and service provision, we ALL need an awareness of and respect for other faiths. The aim of this briefing is to raise your awareness about religion and belief and how this affects us all at work.

  8. This briefing is made up of four parts: • What do we mean by religion and belief? • The law • What are the common religions? • What does this mean for us at work?

  9. Part One What do we mean by Religion and Belief?

  10. What do we mean by religion or belief? This briefing is based on the Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003. What kinds of belief do you think the Regulations cover?

  11. What do we mean by religion or belief? The Regulations cover “…any religion, religious belief, or ‘similar belief’. Similar belief includes such beliefs as paganism, atheism, humanism and pacifism. This is a broad definition, so what beliefs are covered by the Regulations are determined by cases brought to tribunals.

  12. What beliefs are covered by the Regulations? Patriotic Beliefs Political Beliefs People without religious beliefs

  13. What beliefs are covered by the Regulations? An American working at Victoria Station was sacked for sewing the American flag to his reflective vest. This was in breach of health and safety regulations. He claimed unfair dismissal on the grounds that he had a right to his patriotic belief. An Employment Tribunal ruled that the dismissal was legal, as his loyalty to his country is not a “belief” within the meaning of the Regulations. Williams v South Central Limited (2004) Patriotic Beliefs

  14. What beliefs are covered by the Regulations? Issues that tribunals take into account include collective worship, clear belief system and a profound belief affecting your view of the world. Recent changes in the law have widened the scope of the Regulations to include political beliefs in the future. Political Beliefs

  15. What beliefs are covered by the Regulations? The Regulations provide protection to people without religious or similar belief, and therefore it is not legal to treat someone less favourably because they do not have a religious or similar belief. People without religious beliefs

  16. Part Two The Law

  17. In previous modules you learnt about the law and: • Direct discrimination • Indirect discrimination • Harassment Let’s have a look at discrimination first of all.

  18. Can you think of an example of ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ discrimination? Direct Discrimination? Indirect Discrimination?

  19. Can you think of an example of ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ discrimination? Direct Discrimination Being refused a job because you are a Hindu even though you have all the necessary skills.

  20. Can you think of an example of ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ discrimination? Having a dress code that does not allow men to wear ponytails or headwear. This policy would disadvantage Sikh workers who wear turbans for religious reasons and Hindu men who wear a small knot of hair at the back of the head as a symbol of their belief. Indirect Discrimination

  21. However – indirect discrimination will not be unlawful if it can be justified. To justify it, an employer must show that there is a real business need and that the practice is proportionate and there is no alternative means available. For example, where, for safety or hygiene reasons certain protective headgear or hair coverings are needed to perform the job.

  22. Something to think about! It is as unlawful to discriminate against a person for NOT holding a specific religion or belief as it is to discriminate against someone for actually holding to or subscribing to a particular religion or belief.

  23. A member of staff, devout in her belief, continually refers to her colleagues as “heathens” and warns them of the consequences they may suffer as a result of their lack of belief. Distressed by her intimidating behaviour, her colleagues complain to their manager that they are being harassed. Is this harassment? What do you think?

  24. The harassment is unlawful. It is directed at work colleagues because they have different beliefs or no beliefs.

  25. How about Mr ‘A’ who is continually teased about his partner’s religious convictions. He finds being subjected to such teasing offensive and distressing and complains to his manager. His manager tells him not to be silly, that the teasing is only harmless workplace banter and is nothing to do with the organisation. Is this harassment? What do you think?

  26. This is harassment even though it is not the victim’s own religion or belief that is the subject of the teasing. Mr ‘A’ is able to complain through Employment Tribunal. His colleagues may have to pay compensation. The organisation may also have to pay compensation because it has a liability for the actions of its staff.

  27. Why is it important for us to understand the law? It will : • help us to accept and show respect for other faiths. • help everyone to have an equal opportunity to work and develop their skills. • create a positive working environment in which we all benefit and fulfil our potential. • Support flexibility to enable team members to observe religious festivals. • Eliminate discrimination in the workplace.

  28. Part Three What are the common religions?

  29. So, let’s find out more about the many different religions and beliefs that exist. Clearly, religious writings and teachings are too vast to cover in detail here – so, in this guide we aim to highlight some key points. Let’s find out more…

  30. There are lots of different religions. How many can you identify in one minute? Start your time now….. How did you do? Go to the next slide to see how many we identified

  31. Buddhism Hinduism Christianity Click on the next few slides to find out more Islam (Muslims) Sikhism Judaism (Jews))

  32. Christianity • Christians believe that there is one God, the creator and sustainer of everything, whose nature has been shown most clearly through the life of Jesus Christ. • Churches Together in Nottinghamshire, provides an umbrella network for Christian groups. Website: www.churchestogethernottinghamshire.org.uk

  33. Buddhism • Buddhists believe that there is no permanent, immortal soul. We are collections of ever-changing elements like feeling and perceptions. After death, these elements are reborn into a new life, according to the good and bad deeds of past lives. • Nottingham Buddhist Centre, 9 St. Mary’s Place, The Lace Market, Nottingham, NG1 1PH, Tel: 0115 956 1008. Website: www.nottinghambuddhistcentre.org

  34. Hindu • Hindus believe that Atman is the spirit present in all life, the energy that activates the body. It is eternal: after death it is reborn as another creature. • Due to karma, the universal principle of actions and their consequences, past actions determine the nature of new life. • There is one Hindhu temple in Greater Nottingham. • For more information contact: Hindu Temple, 215 Carlton Road, Nottingham, NG3 2FX, Telephone: 0115 9113384, Web site: www.hindutemple.org.uk

  35. Islam • Muslims believe in one God, called Allah. • He is merciful and powerful, the creator and sustainer of the universe, and has prescribed Islam as the correct way of life for people. • There are 12 mosques and masjids (Muslim place of worship) in Greater Nottingham, mostly in the NG7 area . • For more information contact: Islamic Centre, 3 Curzon Street, Nottingham, NG3 1DG, Telephone: 0115 9590001.

  36. Judaism • Jews believe that there is only one God, who created the world and extended justice, compassion and love to all people. His ways can be known and He is close to his people, but He is awe-inspiring and beyond understanding. • There are 2 synagogues (Jewish place of worship) in Greater Nottingham. • For more information contact: • Orthodox Synagogue, Shakespeare Villas, Shakespeare St., Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, Telephone: 0115 9476663. • Progressive Synagogue, Lloyds St., Sherwood, Nottingham, NG5 4BT, Telephone: 0115 962 4761.

  37. Sikhism • Sikhs believe in one God, who can be experienced but is beyond human understanding and never takes human form. • There are many names for God – The most common in worship is Waheguru (“wonderful lord”). • There are six gurdwaras (Sikh place of worship) in Greater Nottingham, mostly in the NG7 area. • For more information contact: The Sikh Temple (Gurdwara), 26 Nottingham Road, Nottingham, NG7 7EA, Tel: 0115 962 2132.

  38. Other religions Ancient Religions e.g. Druidry, Paganism & Wicca Jainism Zoroastrians (Parsi) Keen to know more? Click on the next slide for some useful website links Baha’i Brahma Kumaris Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Rasta- farianism

  39. Other religions – Useful website links Jainism: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/jainism/ Ancient Religions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/subdivisions/wicca.shtml#top Brahma:http://www.brahmakumaris.org.uk/Nottingham/ Quakers:http://www.quaker.org.uk/ Rastafarianism:http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/faith/rastafarian.shtml Baha’I:http://www.bahai.org.uk Zoroastrians: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3847462,00.html

  40. Other religions – Useful website links Nottingham Inter Faith Council: www.interfaithnottm.org.uk Multifaith Centre: www.multifaithnet.org

  41. There are many religious festivals - far too many for one slide! Which ones do YOU know about that are happening in the next month? To find out more, visit: www.bbc.co.uk/religion/tools/calendar

  42. What are the religious beliefs of people in Nottinghamshire? A UK census in 2001 asked people in the Greater Nottingham area to identify their religious belief. What religion did most people state?

  43. 71.3% of people who responded to the census stated ‘Christian’ 0.3% 0.3% Hindu 0.7% 0.2% Buddhist Other Jewish 23.4% 1.0% Muslim 2.8% Sikh No religion

  44. Part Four What does this mean for us at work?

  45. What do the Regulations mean for us at work? As an employer and as a provider of services we want to comply with the law – not because we have to – but because we want to as we believe it is the right thing to do. The following slides will give you a few pointers on what we are expected to do as employees……

  46. Attracting The Best People Care needs to be taken that methods of recruitment and selection criteria do not prevent people from applying because of their religion or belief.

  47. Attracting The Best People At the interview, questions should be asked to check for the skills and competencies needed for the post. Here are some good practice guidelines.

  48. Good Practice Guidelines • Any questions not obviously related to the post may be perceived as providing a basis for discrimination. • So, just as we should not ask or be asked irrelevant questions relating to marital status, or child care arrangements, there should be no irrelevant questions about religion or belief such as ones about place or frequency of worship, communal involvement, or religious ethos of educational establishments attended.

  49. Retaining Good People • Opportunities for promotion and training should be made known to all staff and be available to everyone on a fair and equal basis. • Whilst organisations should be sensitive to the needs of their staff, staff also have a responsibility to ensure they raise awareness of their individual needs.

  50. Retaining Good People • Training is an excellent way to enhance performance and retain good people • To avoid disadvantaging someone because of their religion when training, what adjustments do we consider? • Click on the picture to find out more

More Related