How to Respect Religious Diversity

Managers regularly hear the words "respect" and "diversity," and generally do a good job of exercising those behaviors. However, one area that requires significant work and a little common sense is how to respect religious diversity.As managers, we have to find a way to balance an employees religious expression with the needs of the business and the requirements of the law and policy. This balancing act need not be onerous. Rather, an increase in cultural literacy will improve employee relations and encourage open communication.Start with researching the stated religions of your employees. Don't run up to them and ask, "Hey Sara, are you Jewish?" Rather, if a person displays a statue of Ganesh on their desk, there's a good chance they are Hindu. This observation should be subtle.