Work dilemma - input appreciated

[perkolated]

You may or may not know I'm pretty sensitive to matters of faith. I like them explicitly seperate from work and government

Comments

[the_drifter]

I've never worked in a corporate job, so I don't know how helpful I'll be, but here's my two bits. If all else was good and I didn't want to have to specify my religion to voice my concerns, I think I'd go to the person who seemed most approachable while still being high up enough to initiate change if they decide it's appropriate. I'd ask to speak to them and then tell them I'd heard a number of discussions of religion at work that indicated many of the employees were of a common faith. I'd explain that I'd previously worked at a company where a lot of the higher-ups were of the same faith, and that they'd made it a very uncomfortable work environment for people of different religions and value systems. Nothing overt, but people not of that faith were made to feel subtly unwelcome and either left because they became uncomfortable or because they'd been passed over for promotion a number of times. I'd say that this experience had left me very gunshy about religion in the workplace, and that I really was generally happy with the company and my current position, but I didn't want to put myself in that kind of environment again.

Now, no matter what, the higher-up is going to assure you that this isn't the case at your company, there's a non-discrimination policy, et cetera. But the manner in which they do it and whether or not there's a change in a) the way people respond to you, or b) the appearance of the bible at meetings will tell you a lot. The story you tell is both generic and understandable enough, done right, that you sound like a person with a legitimate interest in working in a respectful and professional environment (and not a closet Satanist), plus you don't have to self-label, so if they are put off by it, they'll eventually forget it because there aren't any details that pop out.