Does on-site Bible study create hostile environment?

A group of employees have started a Bible study class on-site. Several employees have expressed objections to having religious teaching at the facility. Apparently at one meeting employees said that homosexuals were "an abomination against God" and that they would all "burn in hell."

Currently, the company allows other lunch time groups for Weight Watchers and yoga.

Must we allow the Bible class to hold its meetings on-site if we allow the other "clubs" to exist? Conversely, if we do allow the Bible class are we violating anyone elses's rights?

Rita Risser's response:

Employees often wish to gather together in different kinds of groups. Most employers would like to allow this, but at the same time not create a hostile working environment for others. The mere fact that a Christian group (or Jewish or Muslim or Hindu or ...) meets on company premises is not objectionable. But we suggest that if such groups are going to meet on company premises, they must abide by two basic principles:

1. the group is open to any employee who wishes to participate constructively; that is, if there is a women's group, for example, men must be allowed to join if they wish; and

2. the group must conform to the laws prohibiting harassment and discrimination, and to the organization's own values; the participants must show respect for others; the purpose of the group must be to support its members, not to demean or denigrate other groups.

Thus, the Bible study group is free to discuss anything unless it is against people who are gay, just as a gay, lesbian, bisexual employee group can discuss anything as long as it is not against Christians.

There is some concern in industries that are unionized or undergoing union organizing campaigns that such employee associations may give unions a foothold in the organization. In high tech companies, such as Apple and Sun, the benefits of having employee organizations are considered to outweigh the slight risk of unionization. In other industries, such as telecommunications and manufacturing, concern about keeping a union out may dictate that a company not allow employees to associate on company premises. Of course, employees are always allowed to associate together off-site.

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