3. Faith Groups Let People ‘Bring Their Whole Selves to Work’
Ford and Acro illustrate how Detroit employers of different sizes are working to manage religious diversity in the workplace. To be sure, it is not always an easy task. Some civil rights groups say not all employers take such an enlightened view of religious diversity.
Detroit’s Henry Ford Health System creates a designated Muslim prayer space.
By Amy Whitesall Comments 0 | Recommend 0
ecently, Henry Ford Health System president and CEO Nancy Schlichting had a
visit from Dr. Mostafa Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, a gastroenterologist who has been at Henry Ford Hospital for 25 years,
explained that the 25 to 30 Muslim doctors, nurses, technicians, patients and
family members who gather for Friday prayers at the hospital currently use the
hospital’s chapel.
They move some chairs to make room in the back of the chapel, and the hospital
provides sheets that they spread on the carpeted floor to kneel on. It’s
functional, Ibrahim said, but it would be better if the hospital had a
designated space for Muslim prayer.
"That’s my new task," Schlichting says. "And he said the food could be better,
so we’ll work on that too."
The example is one of the results of having executives, doctors and support
staff from about 60 countries.
Workforce Management Online, May 2008 -- Register Now!
Amy Whitesall is a reporter for Crain’s Detroit Business, a sister publication
of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.
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