HR Policy making is one of the toughest areas to be in these days, particularly when dealing with white collar knowledge workers and highly unionized blue collar labor. It becomes particularly important when employees are ready to take employers to court at the drop of a hat.
Look at this story!
Walt Disney Co. is locked in a big ticket fracas with an employee who claims the entertainment behemoth is restricting her right to practice her religion at the workplace and in that sense restricting her freedom.
Imane Boudlal, 26, a hostess at the Storyteller’s Cafe in Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, claims that her employers are discriminating against her by forbidding her to wear the head scarf that her Muslim faith requires her to don.
Interestingly, Boudlal made this request after two years of working with Disney and adhering to Disney’s dress code. She says that a religious awakening has caused her to make the request. Disney for its part, first offered to modify the employee’s costume to incorporate the hijab and further to shift her back office. Boudlal has rejected these offers.
The case raises the question: What is an employer’s obligation to support its employees’ desire to express their religious beliefs through dress and physical appearance?
Disney is clearly caught between a rock and a hard place on this one, but have decided to fight it out to preserve, what they say is the Disney culture and costume.
The case is interesting because it deals with freedom of expression on one hand and an employer’s right to conduct business in a way that they see fit, as long as it is legal and ethical. Factors that conjure up a potent mix, when it gets to court and also the decision would have long standing implications.
Disney’s policies are well thought out and articulated and they are confident of winning the day…………………………having said that HR policy making is a tough nut!
1 comment:
heard of a similler case long ime back mostly probably in 2005; where a petroel bunk employe sued he employer for telling him to shave claiming it was untidy and scared the customers. eventhough there was no religious obligation on his part he said he kept i because he liked it. he won eventually....
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