Welcome to our Newest Members!
Tanenbaum would like to welcome its newest Members ASML, Corning Incorporated, and Michelin at the Associate Level. They join a growing community of organizations committed to advancing religious diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Tanenbaum at BYU Faith & Belief Case Competition
Last month, we attended BYU’s 3rd Annual MBA Case Competition on Faith and Belief at Work. Together with over 15 companies and students from MBA programs nationally and abroad, we encouraged solutions to address the business case for accommodating faith and belief at work.
The case for this year’s competition, which focused on the importance and value of interfaith ERGs, allowed students to think creatively and provide business considerations around the importance of valuing faith-based communities in the workplace.
Through these efforts in the competition, and included amongst the persuasive arguments by the students, we resoundingly agreed that inclusion for people of all faiths and none at work remains paramount.
Stay Tuned for the 2025 Religious Diversity Leadership Summit
Our Workplace team is looking forward to convening members and partners at our upcoming 2025 Religious Diversity Leadership Summit with this year’s theme, Building Community, Taking Action. We are excited to continue the legacy of our Summit in engaging the ways religion shows up as part of our workplace, workforce, and marketplaces. Look out for a save-the-date in the coming weeks.
Demonstrate your leadership in this space and consider supporting our annual events! They are a key part of our work to make workplace religious diversity resources available for all. If you’re interested in sponsoring our Summit and Symposium, please email Lydia Baek at [email protected] or select some time to meet with Workplace and the Development teams here.
Plan for Upcoming Holidays
Spring is a time of celebration and commemoration for many faith traditions. Eid al-Fitr, the last day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, is expected to take place on March 30th, though the exact date is subject to the first sighting of the moon. April 13th is the start of the Theravada New Year, followed by the Sikh festival Vaisakhi April 14th. Passover will begin at sundown on April 12th and end after nightfall on April 20th. This year, Western Christian Holy Week and Eastern Orthodox Christian Holy Week will coincide, with both Easter and Pascha falling on April 20th.
The end of April brings the Festival of Ridvan, which commemorates the twelve days that Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet founder of the Bahá’í Faith, resided in Paradise. Bahai’is may suspend work on April 20th, April 28th, May 1st. May 12th is Vesak Day, also known as Buddha Day, a celebration of the birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became the Buddha.
This season offers multiple opportunities to ensure that employees feel supported and respected in the workplace. As we approach these and any celebrations, we encourage everyone to consider the various accommodation needs that may arise. The Eight Steps to the Accommodation Mindset Fact Sheet is a great starting point for accommodating diverse traditions in the workplace. We also offer a variety of workplace trainings to help create an environment where everyone feels respected and valued year-round.
Book a Workplace Training!
Creating inclusive workplaces for people of all faiths and none yields rich benefits in employee engagement and satisfaction. Our trainings promote an awareness of how religious beliefs and practices impact behaviors in the workplace. This increased sensitivity helps dispel biases to enhance respectful collaborations across the workforce.
Representative training options include:
- Navigating Religious Diversity in the Workplace: An introduction to the topic of religious diversity in the workplace that addresses the business case for faith-based inclusion efforts.
- Religious Diversity in the Workplace: Leveraging Cross-Cultural Allyship – highlights the intersectional nature of religion and belief and its utility in creating inclusive and respectful workplaces for employees of all identities.
Contact [email protected] to book a training now!
Spotlight: Competencies for Respectful Communication
One of our most frequently recommended resources, Tanenbaum’s Competencies for Respectful Communication outlines basic practices, or competencies, to help navigate difficult conversations in the workplace.
One of these competencies is the Platinum Rule. Many are familiar with the Golden Rule, which says to treat others the way you want to be treated. At Tanenbaum, we espouse the Platinum Rule: treat others the way they want to be treated. Respect looks different across religious traditions, cultures, and individual experiences.
The only way to know what respect looks like to another person is to ask. Approaching these conversations with genuine curiosity and willingness to learn can help foster a respectful working environment.
Spring Screening Event
Join us virtually or in-person for an upcoming free screening of American Sikh and Colonel Kalsi: Beyond the Call on April 15th, 6-8:30PM ET at the American Arbitration Association on 150 East 42nd Street.
We’ll be joined by American Sikh creator Vishavjit Singh and Kamal S. Kalsi for a panel discussion exploring how ethical representation of religion in the media can build empathy across communities. RSVP here!