OnDemand: Religious Inclusion at Work Conference 2026
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2026 Overview
Recent developments, including the Government’s acceptance of Lord Mann’s recommendations to strengthen action against antisemitism, underline the growing expectation on employers and institutions to take proactive steps to address religious discrimination, promote understanding, and create workplaces where people of all faiths and beliefs feel valued and included.
Fostering religious inclusion is not only about celebrating difference, but also about actively challenging prejudice and creating cultures of belonging for everyone. While strides have been made, challenges persist, such as a lack of respect and tolerance towards different cultures and sometimes discrimination, whether intentional or unintentional. Companies need to engage effectively with employees to understand and meet their religious and belief-related needs. Religion and belief is one of the 9 ‘protected characteristics’ covered by discrimination law in the 2010 Equality Act, however:
2026 Agenda
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Dr Jo Bishton, Head of Equity, Inclusion and Wellbeing, Trustee of the Multi Faith Centre, University of Derby
Keynote: Tackling Religious Discrimination Through Education and Understanding
- Exploring what religious hate, harassment and discrimination look like in modern workplaces
- Understanding the impact of faith-based discrimination on employee wellbeing, confidence and psychological safety
- Examining how stereotypes, misinformation and lack of religious literacy contribute to prejudice
- Supporting managers and colleagues to recognise and address discriminatory behaviour
- Embedding religious understanding into wider equality, diversity and inclusion strategies
Yunus Dudhwala, Head of Chaplaincy, Barts Health NHS Trust
Case Study: Embedding Religion & Belief Inclusion in Large Institutions
- Exploring the development of a Religion and Belief Action Plan to foster respect and understanding for all staff
- Understanding how research, policy, and lived experiences inform effective inclusion strategies
- Highlighting the role of working groups in guiding action plan development and embedding accountability
- Sharing best practice on tracking progress and measuring impact of religion and belief initiatives
Debbie Epstein, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager (Religion & Belief), UCL
Case Study: Faith and belief competency in the NHS
Dr YingFei Héliot, Associate Professor, University of Surrey
Questions & Answers
Comfort Break
Keynote: Beyond Tolerance: Embedding Religious Inclusion in Corporate Culture
- Exploring why religious awareness strengthens organisations, improving wellbeing, engagement, and cross-cultural effectiveness
- Sharing practical steps to build inclusive cultures, including training, flexible policies, safe spaces, and leadership-driven behaviours
- Encouraging a shift from passive tolerance to active inclusion to foster respect, belonging, and stronger organisational performance
Revd Canon Andy Thompson MBE, vicar of St Margaret’s Church Uxbridge and Trustee, Forum for Peace UK
Case Study: Celebrating Religious Visibility and Expression
- Identifying barriers to religious expression in the workplace
- Developing an open and inclusive culture that supports religious expression
- Highlighting the gendered attitudes towards religious expression
- Providing prayer facilities in the workplace that are suitable and up-to-standard
- Accommodating staff by offering flexibility for religious observance, holidays and festivals by taking an individual and collaborative approach
Sneha Varia, EDI Lead and Regional Manager, Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education
Questions & Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Dr Jo Bishton, Head of Equity, Inclusion and Wellbeing, Trustee of the Multi Faith Centre, University of Derby
Conference Close
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2026 Speakers
Brad McLaughlin
Customer & Product Manager
Aviva
Dr. Brian Grim
President
Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
Rakesh Joshi
Engagement and Business Support Officer, Chair – Hindu Network
Department for Education
Dr. Joanne Bishton
Head of Equity, Inclusion and Wellbeing
University of Derby
Testimonials
I recently attended the Religious Inclusion online training and it was well presented with insightful information.
The Religious Inclusion: Uniting Beliefs at Work Conference 2025 was a very informative session, filled with great speakers providing valuable insights.
Great speakers who were extremely knowledgeable.
Interesting session, gives a lot of food for thought.
