The Religious Freedom and Business Foundation has put together an interesting report on the Fortune 100 companies with the most commitment to religious inclusion in their workforce. Google topped the list, with Intel and Tyson Foods tying for second place and Target coming in third.
“As corporate America has become increasingly focused on creating environments where people can bring their whole selves to work regardless of their backgrounds or abilities, some companies are embracing diversity practices that go beyond the minimum legal requirements for accommodation,” RFBF writes on their website. “This focus on diversity comes in the wake of overwhelming research and evidence showing that a company’s bottom line grows when it values each employee’s uniqueness and equitably includes diverse perspectives in the workplace.”
The study noted “the number and diversity of faith- and belief-based Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) mentioned on [Google’s] website” and praised its “multiple member chapters representing specific communities of interest, including but not limited to Buddhists, Christians, Jewglers [Google’s term] and Muslims.”
Intel received high marks for their “Intel Chartered Employee Resource Groups”, which operate as little clubs within the workplace for employees to unite around a common interest, and options include groups like the Agnostics and Atheists at Intel (AAI), Intel Bible-Based Christian Network (IBCN); Intel Jewish Community (IJC), and Intel Muslim Employee Group (IMEG). Target has similar groups, which include Christian, Jewish and Muslim Networks.
Other companies mentioned include Facebook, American Airlines, Apple and Dell.
The RFBF says these companies are particularly praiseworthy since religious inclusion doesn’t always receive the same amount of attention as racial and gender inclusion do at a corporate level.
“Our 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, dis/ability, age, and family,” their website says. “Including religion is a litmus test for whether a company fully embraces diversity, equity and inclusion.”
