Religious Diversity and Secular Models in Europe: Innovative Approaches to Law and Policy A Comparative Legal Study Addressing Religion or Belief Discrimination in Employment and Reasonable Accommodations For Employeess Religious or Philosophical Beliefs or Practices

The growing religious diversity in European societies poses important policy challenges in various domains of social life. The new religious landscape means that European states not only have to cope with inhabitants with varying commitments to Christianity as well as with humanists, agnostics, atheists, and Jewish and/or Muslim minority populations, but in many instances also with a ‘super-diverse’ range of other religious cultures and traditions which have entered Europe by way of immigration and conversion. Challenges with the position of Islam have been most visible, prompting a number of states to adopt restrictive measures on religious dress, family life and places of worship.This policy brief discusses a number of recommendations proposed by the RELIGARE project on on religion or belief discrimination in employment and reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious or philosophical beliefs or practices in the workplace.