Once taboo in the company world, religion is gaining traction in Fortune 500 diversity efforts, in line with a recent report from the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation.
More than 85% of Fortune 500 corporations (429 corporations total) now include religion of their commitment to diversity, greater than twice the number that did in 2022, per the 2024 Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) Index and Monitor. And 62 Fortune 500 corporations (12.4%) now showcase faith-based worker business resource groups, up from 7.4% in 2022.
These numbers represent a “tipping point,” said Religious Freedom and Business Foundation President Brian Grim, within the variety of corporations embracing religion as a core component of diversity. He added that this yr, corporations were especially attentive to how people of religion responded to global news, including the Israel-Hamas war.
“That has meant paying a bit bit more attention than they did prior to now to faith identities,” he told Religion News Service. “Various corporations have reached out and relied on their faith worker resource groups to assist in the navigation of these kinds of issues.”
The organization released its 2024 benchmark assessment of corporate America’s religious diversity efforts Monday morning. This yr, Accenture and American Airlines tied as probably the most faith-friendly Fortune 500 corporations, each earning perfect scores on the index, which assessed over 30 faith-friendly corporations via an opt-in survey. The survey evaluated corporations in 11 categories, including their religious accommodations, spiritual care/chaplaincy services and procedures for reporting discrimination. Equinix, Dell Technologies, Intel Corporation, Salesforce and Tyson Foods all followed close behind the highest scorers.
Grim said Accenture stood out for proactively creating a company culture hospitable to non secular identity. American Airlines, which also topped the REDI Index in 2022, brings great global sensitivity to its religious diversity efforts due to its international reach, Grim added.
“At American Airlines, our purpose is to look after people on life’s journey, including our customers and our 130,000 team members,” Cedric Rockamore, the vp of worldwide people operations at American Airlines, said in a press release. “Our team members, across all faiths and beliefs, help us higher understand and serve our customers all over the world.”
Among the 32 top corporations assessed via the REDI Index, 100% reportedly rejoice their employees’ holy days in an equitable manner, in line with the report. Seventy-two percent match worker donations to non secular charities and 87% provide chaplains or other types of spiritual look after their employees.
Companies that did not take the survey were ranked individually on their religious diversity efforts via the REDI Monitor, which was based on publicly available information.
Grim said corporations’ approach to non secular diversity is commonly counter-cultural; businesses which may otherwise be in competition are quick to share best practices for religious inclusion and collaborate on events. The Christian and Black worker resources groups at Intel and Microsoft, for instance, recently teamed as much as host a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, he said. On Wednesday, DELL Technologies’ interfaith worker resource group is working with Merck, CVS Health and three local faith groups to host a hands-on food packaging event in Washington, D.C.
“I feel that is a really hopeful trend in these polarizing times,” said Grim.
The interest in corporate religious diversity can be spreading globally, in line with Grim, who noted that the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation held a global conference in India in December and released REDI Index and Monitor findings for corporations within the United Kingdom in March.
On Tuesday, the muse’s annual “Dare to Overcome” conference will bring tons of of leaders from Fortune 500 corporations to Washington, D.C., to debate topics like workplace chaplaincy, research on faith and faith accommodations within the workplace.
© Religion News Service
