Religious Group Discrimination

Abstract

According to the laws of many countries, religion is a protected class and religious discrimination in the workplace on the basis of one’s religion is prohibited. However, due to various factors (e.g., sociopolitical events, increases in religious diversity), religious discrimination claims have been on the rise since the early 2000s, thus necessitating the need for researchers and practitioners alike to gain a deeper understanding of religious discrimination in the workplace. Consequently, the purpose of this chapter is to review the workplace religious discrimination literature. The chapter highlights why religion has come to be a stigmatized characteristic in the work context, how it is unique in regard to other protected classes such as race and gender, and what are the specific contributors of workplace religious discrimination. It also offers several directions for future areas of research and practical implications for managers.