HR Case Study: Religious Discrimination and Harassment at Treton

This case study examines a scenario of religious discrimination and harassment at the Treton Company, focusing on the experiences of an employee named Maalick. The case details how Maalick faced discrimination due to his religious beliefs, including denial of promotion and workplace harassment from his supervisor, Jenkins, and coworkers. The analysis covers the facts supporting Maalick's claims, the lack of accommodation for his religious practices, and the HR director's response to the situation. It also explores additional steps the HR director could have taken to foster a more inclusive environment. Furthermore, the case highlights the violations of Treton's non-union status, EEO, and discrimination policies by Jenkins and the coworkers. The study emphasizes the importance of training, religious diversity awareness, and formal policies to ensure a respectful and inclusive workplace. The case underscores how the supervisor's and coworkers' actions contributed to discrimination and the need for proactive measures by the HR department to address and prevent such issues.

Running head: EMPLOYMENT LAW AND PROCESSES
Employment Law and Processes
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1EMPLOYMENT LAW AND PROCESSES
1.
There are several relevant facts that completely reflects the reason that supports
Maalick’s contention of not getting promoted due to religious discrimination. From the very
beginning of DeMur’s journey, in his new company, he was not supported by his co-workers as
he belonged to the Internationalist religion. As a part of this religion, DeMur needed a leave from
work for a week in order to prepare himself for the final step to become an Internationalist.
Although he approached towards Jenkins who interviewed him, he was asked various questions
regarding his religion and raised several questions regarding his belief. DeMur was asked to
provide information about his religion so as to get the leave. Although DeMur was disturbed by
the conversation but finally Jenkin approved his leave after getting information. This shows that
the company is very much discriminative about religion.
Another fact that came in this regards is that soon after DeMur returned to his company
after the leave, he needed to change his name to Maalick as according to his religion, after
confirmation, they need to change their name to reflect their position based on spiritual doctrine.
His coworkers treated him very badly on the matter to change his name and harassed him in a
very bad manner. After that with the concern of the HR department, DeMur was allowed to
change his name in the company and continue with his new name Maalick. After that he received
a series of notes left on his desk. After this, when Maalick applied for a position within the
company he wwas interviewed by Jenkin but later he found that the job was given to an external
candidate who was the member of the Jenkin’s Church.
All these facts hence reflect that Maalick was not promoted within the company because
of his different religious belief and hence got discriminated.

2EMPLOYMENT LAW AND PROCESSES
2.
There are several relevant facts that supports that Maalick was not given accommodation
due to his religious beliefs. At the beginning when DeMur was interviewed by Jenkin, he was
invited to attend the church to meet new people and get adapted to the new environment. At that
time Jenkin as well as his co-workers were not aware of his religious beliefs and the people in
the church exchanged well communication with DeMur and also provided him pledges to look
out for them in case if he relocates. But the actual discrimination began soon after DeMur was
engaged with his Internationalist Religious beliefs and as apert of it he changed his name to
Maalick. The same person who encouraged him in doing work at his new place, discriminated
him from being a religious person of Internationalist religion as they were not aware of the
religion that much. When Maalick was pranked in his company by his coworkers by placing
dolls with pins sticking out of its body parts, receiving notes on hos desks and many more, he
complained to Jenkin who in turn also laughed at him for his religious beliefs. All these shows
that Maalick was not given his proper accommodation in his company due to his Internationalist
religious beliefs.
3. a)
Action of HR director: The HR director of the company, Marta Ford was very much
supportive and did not have any issue regarding any of the religious beliefs of the employees.
After Maalick requested for the change in name in his office, he was formally stopped by the HR
department to proceed with any type of paper work to formally change his name. After
conversing with the HR director of the company, about the questions that were being asked to
him about his religious beliefs by his co-workers, Marta Ford assured him that she will look into

3EMPLOYMENT LAW AND PROCESSES
the matter and also allowed him to change his name and reflected that in the company’s record.
After Maalick joined the company, several times he was pranked by his coworkers and
approached to the HR department to look into the matter, The HR director assured him to take
steps against these actions as these type of behavior is condoned at Treton. The HR director
called for a meeting including all the department heads informing them about the situations and
sent an e-mail to all the individuals of the company warning them about the policies in Treton
regarding discrimination and harassment and the penalties associated with these actions. The
department heads also warned their employees to cease the matter and to treat Maalick well.
Hence the HR director provided an effective response to the overall situation between Maalick,
the supervisor and the coworkers.
b)
Apart from the effective actions that were taken by the HR director, some more additional
steps could have been taken by her. It is very much needed that the employees and the manager
levels are trained with information regarding religious diversity so as to make them understand
about different religious beliefs and helping in to create a more inclusive environment at work.
To ensure that the employees have flexibility in their schedules and space daily to practice their
religious prayers.To develop a formal policy on religion to show the employees that their
religious beliefs are respected by the company.
4.
The actions of the supervisor and coworkers served as the main factors that led to the
discrimination and harassment within the company. First of all, tge supervisor of the company,

4EMPLOYMENT LAW AND PROCESSES
Jenkins made fun of DeMur’s religious beliefs as he was not aware of the Internationalist
religion. He did not approve the leave of DeMur when he applied for it and asked him to provide
information about his so called religion in order to get the leave. This type of harassment that
was faced by DeMur at the very initial stage when he joined the company. According to his
religion, when DeMur needed to change his name to Maalick he was bullied by his supervisor
and was not allowed to change his name. The coworkers on the other hand also contributed much
to this harassment. They behaved with Maalick strangely and not even greeted him when he
came to office. Besides they decorated dolls with pins sticking out of its body and placed it to
Maalick’s desk in order to harass him on his religious belief. Maalick founded several items on
his desk including witch hat, containers of incense, series of notes left on his desk black magic
tools, pal reading request and most importantly, he was harassed and discriminated when one day
Maalick found a book named “Mystical Practices from the Negro Experience”. All this action
led to the ultimate harassment to Maalick.
5.
Treton non-union status and development policy implements programs and is based on
developing strong culture within the company by developing and empowering its employee
through procedural and operational integrity through ethical decision making . The Treton’s EEO
and discrimination policies include sustaining the cultural value of the company by articulating
its expectation of employees and their behaviors while promoting and facilitating workforce
diversity. According to the policy of the Treton, it includes working diversity with equal
employment opportunity and non-discrimination and harassment in workplace. Clive Jenkin’s
behavior directly violated the policies of Treton as he being the supervisor of the company, did
not supported Maalick with his religious beliefs and harassed him in cooperation of his

5EMPLOYMENT LAW AND PROCESSES
coworkers. He also did not promoted him to the position which he applied for and gave that
position to another external candidate who belonged to Jenskin’s Church member.

6EMPLOYMENT LAW AND PROCESSES
References