Know Your Rights – UConn Heart for Profession Improvement

Paganism (or Neo-Paganism) is an umbrella time period used to explain quite a lot of religions and practices that fall outdoors of main world religions which are centered round conventional, pre-Christian people perception programs, resembling Wicca, Heathenry, and Hellenic Paganism. These religions can have holidays. Sabbaths, and visible indicators that differ from what is taken into account the “default” for many workplace environments. This weblog will cowl the non secular rights of Pagans within the office, resembling requesting break day for holidays.

Pagans can typically encounter discrimination or harrassment within the office upon disclosure of their faith, starting from stereotyping and destructive feedback to not being allowed to put on non secular symbols (resembling pentacles, depictions of Mjǫllnir, Ankhs, and so on.) or being fired for his or her beliefs. Should you’re Pagan (or a member of any faith) and really feel that you’re being discriminated in opposition to on your faith in your office, there are a number of choices to deal with that. A technique is to contact your Human Assets division to debate the sources they’ve obtainable and choices for addressing cases. Another choice obtainable (particularly in circumstances of being fired) could be to contact a lawyer, as a result of staff are shielded from discrimination based mostly on faith within the office via title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Should you consider that you just have been denied a job alternative on account of your faith, it’s also possible to contact the Equal Employment Alternatives Commision (EEOC) to debate subsequent steps.

If you have to take break day for holidays that aren’t in your office’s calendar, such because the solstices or Wiccan sabbats, you may talk about choices for schedule adjustments together with your supervisor to accommodate your practices, very similar to another faith. You may also ask Human Assets about firm insurance policies associated to break day for non secular observance.

Everybody has a proper to observe their faith and is protected by legislation from discrimination based mostly on faith, however that doesn’t cease all types of discrimination based mostly on faith within the office. Should you’re involved about your faith in relation to your profession growth, you can also make an appointment with considered one of our Profession Coaches to debate these considerations and get recommendation right here: https://profession.uconn.edu/meet-with-a-career-coach/

Picture Credit score: Picture by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Sources:

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/when-the-witch-in-the-office-asks-for-24326/

https://www.learnreligions.com/rights-in-the-workplace-2562920

https://wildhunt.org/2015/03/column-religious-discrimination-in-the-workplace.html

By Avery Caya

Avery Caya
Graduate Assistant, CLAS/Range, Fairness, and Inclusion (They/Them/Theirs)

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest Articles