Can an employee object to a diversity program or pledge on religious grounds?
This issue is likely to arise in the context of workplace diversity initiatives that include acceptance of certain people (such as gays and lesbians) or lifestyles (such as unwed motherhood) that some religious people claim to find offensive on the basis of religion. For example, in one case, an employee told his employer that his sincerely held religious beliefs against homosexuality conflict with his employer’s requirement that he sign a code of conduct that contains a diversity policy requiring each employee to “fully recognize, respect and value” differences among co-workers. He claimed that there was a conflict because he claimed he cannot value any “difference” that is “contrary to God’s word.” Although the law is still evolving in this area, an employer may have to accommodate the objecting employee’s religious point of view – but not to the extent that it causes the employer an undue hardship. As in a “typical” accommodation request, employers are obligated to (1) try in good f
