Office notebook. The annual Barometer on the religious fact in business, published on Wednesday July 5 by the Institut Montaigne, is formal: “The religious fact is not very gendered and the majority of situations (53%) involve women and men. » The expression of religiosity at work is widely shared between men and women, whether it involves wearing ostentatious signs, organizing a time of prayer, or even proselytizing. Even if, when only one gender is concerned, it is more often men (30%) than women (17%).
However, a difference clearly appears in the way of expressing one’s religion in the workplace. The Observatory of Religious Facts in Business has established for this 2023 barometer a typology of modes of expression, which distinguishes invisible facts, which do not modify the organization of work, such as praying during a break, “disturbers”which violate the rules of law and may be subject to a sanction, such as the refusal to perform certain tasks or to shake hands with a colleague.
On reading this typology, the barometer reveals that women are overwhelmingly at the origin of facts that do not call into question, by themselves, the functioning of the organization, the performance of work or even professional relations. . They will ask, for example, to be absent or request an adjustment of schedules, they will wear a distinctive religious sign (clothing, objects, jewelry, such as a hijab, a cross, a Star of David). But they are very rarely in transgression.
Framed by the labor code
“Transgressive behaviors are the prerogative of men”, notes Lionel Honoré. The director of the Observatory of religious facts in business and author of the barometer specifies that “The most dysfunctional facts find men who are poorly qualified and very largely among the under 35s. The more one increases in skills, the more one increases in age, the less the facts are problematic”. It can be negative behavior towards women, refusal to carry out a task, working with someone who is not of the same religion. These are, for example, discriminatory behaviors on the grounds of gender.
freedom of worship does not allow discrimination or sexist acts. Respect in business is framed by the labor code both for individual freedoms (art. L. 1121-1), religious convictions (art. L. 1132-1), professional requirements (art. L. 1133 -1) and for the dignity of employees (art. L. 1142-2-1).
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