Although many Fortune 100 companies say they are committed to workplace diversity, few promote faith and religious diversity, choosing instead to focus on sexuality.
This is the key finding of the Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Index, released this week by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. The study does give high marks to Google/Alphabet, Intel, Target, American Airlines and Tyson Foods for taking steps to recognize the importance of faith in the lives of employees.
READ: Religious discrimination in the workplace
“With religious affiliation and diversity continuing to grow world-wide between now and 2050, companies that fail to understand the value of a religiously inclusive workplace are increasingly at a competitive disadvantage,” said foundation President Brian Grim, Ph.D.
Although some of the biggest brands have begun recognizing that respect for faith expression is vital to recruitment, retention and creating a productive work environment, the majority of Fortune 100 companies have yet to account for the value of faith-friendly workplaces. The REDI Index reveals that outside of the top ten, many Fortune 100 companies fail to include religion as compared to other major identity categories: race/ethnicity, women/gender, sexual orientation, veterans/military, disability, age, and family.
Content analysis of the main diversity and inclusion landing pages of Fortune 100 companies shows that religion receives less attention than all the other major identity categories: race/ethnicity, women/gender, sexual orientation, veterans/military, disability, age, and family.
“Our research, however, also indicates that corporate America is at a tipping point toward giving religion similar attention to that given the other major diversity categories, especially as our nation is becoming more religiously diverse with no one religious denomination holding a majority,” Grim said. Indeed, including religion is a litmus test for whether a company fully embraces diversity, equity and inclusion.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
