Rate your organisation’s performance today and create an action plan.

1. Does your company have an official policy regarding diversity?
2. Does your company's diversity policy specifically include religion and belief?
3. Has your organisation included details of the E.U. Employment Regulations (Religion & Belie) 2003 in all relevant information for staff?
4. Does your company have a method of communicating this policy to employees and the public (through the induction process, employee handbook, organisation website, information packs, etc.)?
5. Has your organisation incorporated training in religion and belief into its training activities (including training needs analysis, management programmes, induction arrangements, etc.)?
6. Is training in religion and belief available to all staff?
7. Are your managers aware of the implications of direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief?
8. Does your company know the general religious make-up of its employees?
9. Are there clearly documented avenues of communication available between employees and managers to address issues arising from religious needs – including dress, food and holidays?
10. Does your company know the general religious make-up of its customers or clients?
11. Does your company have a documented procedure on religious holiday leave (paid or unpaid)?
12. Do your managers take into account employees' various religious holidays when planning meetings, workshops, events, etc?
13. Do your managers take into account the different faith needs of employees when scheduling holiday events, shift arrangements or annual shutdowns?
14. Does your company have a dress code?
15. Is this dress code communicated to all employees (through the induction process, employee handbook, information packs, etc.)?
16. If an employee's religious practice conflicts with the dress code, does the company have policies in place to deal with this?
17. Does your company provide food for employees (in the cafeteria for example)?
18. Do these meals accommodate unique religious and ethical needs of your employees (kosher, halal, vegetarian, etc.)?
19. Does your company hold special events involving food and/or drink (promotions, meetings, presentations, product launches, etc.)?
20. Do these special events accommodate the unique religious and ethical needs of your employees and visitors (kosher, halal, vegetarian, etc.)?
21. Does your company have a policy regarding display of items in personal workspace areas (within an office, on walls in public areas, etc.)?
22. Does this policy include religious or faith related items?
23. Does your company allow special decoration of office space for holidays (Christmas party decorations, Hanukkah decorations, etc.)?
24. Do these decorations accommodate the needs of a religiously and culturally diverse employee base?
25. Does your company allow religious practice in the workplace (prayer, meditation, etc.)?
26. Does your organisation have prayer rooms? If not, have you made arrangements for employees wishing to pray during their time at work?
27. Does your company effectively communicate their policy regarding religious practice in the workplace to the employees (through the employee handbook, information packs, etc)?
28. Do your employees have avenues of communication by which they can raise their specific religious practice needs (e.g. appraisal, weekly meetings, etc)
29. Does you organisation have a clearly thought out and documented approach to its ‘business case’ for diversity?
30. Are your managers aware of how the management of diversity impacts on the bottom line, productivity, and achievement of the organisational goals?

Have you identified any gaps or training needs in your organisation?

Diversiton, the leading European training organisation on religion and belief, has already trained over 3000 people in the private sector, health trusts, Government departments, local authorities and the voluntary sector. Our ‘religion and belief’ course received the Government’s prestigious Diversity 21 award.

Each of our three training packages comes as a PowerPoint presentation with trainer notes and delegate notes ready for you to print off - enabling you to deliver the latest diversity programmes cost effectively in-house, at a time and place to suit your needs. Membership for the year is only £495 - offering you a saving of £1190 on our normal retail price.

• “Religion and Belief” – our award winning training package that enables you and your managers to train all your staff in house. (RRP only £495)
• “Employment law essentials – religion and belief” – to ensure all your staff are meeting their responsibilities under the new legislation (RRP only £595)
• “Diversity – the business case” - everything you need to know about the costs, benefits and return on diversity training. (RRP only £595)

Membership enables you to meet all your organisation’s training needs on religion and belief for less than £10 per week!! Please not that this special offer is only for those who join before the 30th April 2004. See www.diversiton.com/members/membership-form. There's also up to £35 of gift vouchers from Marks and Spencer to be claimed when you join.

The April edition of this newsletter will feature some practical suggestions in setting up a prayer room.

Thank you for working with Diversiton to promote respect for diversity in the workplace.