Religious Inclusion: Uniting Beliefs at Work Conference 2025

Online

Past and Present Supporters Include

Overview

The current workplace landscape is witnessing a growing emphasis on religion and belief inclusion. This is crucial for creating a genuinely inclusive environment respecting a range of beliefs. Strides have been made to include various religious events and holidays, as well as reflection spaces for religious individuals. However, 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:

  • 47% of people in a study of 6,315 did not feel comfortable discussing religious festivals they celebrate at work (Pearn Kandola, 2023)
  • 19% of the participants had requests to take annual leave to celebrate religious holidays or festivals rejected
  • 23% of those who wore religious symbols or dress were not prepared to do this at work

Join us at the Religious Inclusion: Uniting Beliefs at Work Conference 2025 to collaborate on innovative approaches to harness the full potential of your organisation. Learn and benefit from a series of best practice case studies on a range of topics including creating flexible workplace policies to promote religious inclusivity, engaging with employees to assess their religious needs, and celebrating religious visibility and expression to create an open and productive working environment for all. You will also have the chance to network with senior colleagues and learn methods to drive support and wellbeing services that will allow your organisation to create an inclusive religious and belief environment.

Why Attend:

✓ Hear high-level keynotes on the latest initiatives in Religion and Belief Inclusion at Work from experts across a range of sectors

✓ Learn from case studies showcasing best practices in producing policies for religious diversity, support structures for employees, and celebrating such diversity

✓ Network with senior colleagues from a variety of sectors

✓ Gain 4 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota

Agenda

  • Registration

  • Chairs Opening Remarks

  • Keynote: Building Friendly Inter-Faith Workplaces

    • Examining why people feel uncomfortable disclosing their religion in the workplace
    • Outlining the nature and significance of microaggressions and religious discrimination in the workplace
    • Deconstructing unconscious bias, preconceived notions and stereotypes about religion in the workplace
    • Considering the impacts of global events on workplace religious relations
    • Taking a personalised approach that accommodates employee’s religious requirements
    • Focusing on common values and goals to transcend workplace conflict
  • Keynote: 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

    Lianne Hewson, Equality Diversity Inclusion Officer, Devon County Council (CONFIRMED)

    Devon County Council

  • Case Study: Institutional Advantages to Building Religiously Inclusive Workplaces

    • Improving employee recruitment and retention through inclusive practices
    • Diversifying perspectives and broadening the pool of possible candidates by implementing provisions supporting religious inclusion
    • Creating positive cultures that celebrate religious differences creates environments for employees to succeed
    • Cultivating a resilient and supportive atmosphere within workplaces
  • Questions and Answers

  • Comfort Break

  • Lived Experience: Facilitating Open Discussions about Faith in the Workplace

    Phil Champain, Director,The Faith and Belief Forum (CONFIRMED)

    About - The Faith & Belief Forum

  • Keynote: Building Beyond Tolerance: Mutual Understanding of Faith

    • Celebrating religious diversity in the workplace by facilitating inclusive social events
    • Promoting interfaith learning and collaboration where employees learn about other faiths in a positive and non-judgemental way
    • Incorporating religious diversity into hiring practices
    • Illustrating the problems that arise when comparing values with other people of other religions
    • Taking a personalised approach that accommodates employee’s religious requirements
  • Case Study:  Strategies in Practise: Religious Belief Inclusion

    • Training HR teams to treat faith-based requests respectfully and cooperatively
    • Soliciting feedback from employees and incorporating into HR policies
    • Allowing all employees to work from home or have flexible working hours, especially if it is more comfortable during a religious festival
    • Creating reasonable adjustments: setting aside prayer rooms and catering to religiously diverse workforces by providing non-alcoholic drinks and offering a range of foods such as halal, kosher and vegan
    • Reconfiguring the work calendar away from a singular traditional holiday focus to a broader range of religious and cultural holidays
  • Questions and Answers

  • Chair’s Closing Remarks

  • Conference Close

Previous Speakers

Dr YingFei Héliot

Senior Lecturer

University of Surrey

Julie Jones

Director

All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief

Male Silhouette image
Brad McLaughlin

Customer & Product Manager

Aviva

Dr. Brian Grim

President

Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

Male Silhouette image
Rakesh Joshi

Engagement and Business Support Officer, Chair – Hindu Network

Department for Education

Female Silhouette image
Dr. Joanne Bishton

Head of Equity, Inclusion and Wellbeing

University of Derby

Testimonials

A fantastic event with really informative and engaging sessions and speakers! I am going away from today’s conference with lots of new ideas, areas for consideration and new contacts, all of which will support us as we progress on our journey of developing an Interfaith network.

Alzheimer's Society - Wikipedia

Culture and Engagement OfficerAlzheimer's Society

This was an enjoyable and informative event. Lots to take away and use to inform future developments.

Cornwall Council - NSPA

Strategy and Partnership Specialist (EDI)Cornwall Council

Helpful session – informative.

General Medical Council - Wikipedia

Head of EDI General Medical Council

Interesting session, gives a lot of food for thought.

 

Caledonian Maritime Assets - Wikipedia

HR OfficerCaledonian Maritime Assets Limited

Why you Should Attend

Why Attend:

✓ Hear high-level keynotes on the latest initiatives in Religion and Belief Inclusion at Work from experts across a range of sectors

✓ Learn from case studies showcasing best practices in producing policies for religious diversity, support structures for employees, and celebrating such diversity

✓ Network with senior colleagues from a variety of sectors

✓ Gain 4 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota

Who Should Attend

Job Title Example Organisation Example
HR Officers Civil Service
Head’s of EDI Schools
Culture and Engagement Officer Universities
Recruitment Advisors Charities
Line Managers Private Business
Network Leads Police
Diversity Leaders Finance Services

Pricing Options

PRIVATE SECTOR
£425.00

Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.

BOOK NOW
PUBIC SECTOR
£260.00

Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.

BOOK NOW
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
£260.00

Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.

BOOK NOW

Sponsorship

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If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE

IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.

Virtual vs F2F

Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:

  • Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
  • Lower sponsorship package costs
  • No travel/accommodation
  • Less time out of the office
  • No stand materials required (lower costs)
  • 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
  • Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
  • Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
  • Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)

To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below: