Cultural diversity in the workplace

This chapter asks whether the concept and discourse of personal autonomy provide support for or, alternatively, fuel opposition to certain religious practices in the secular European workplace. The author draws on two recent anti-discrimination cases in the Court of Justice of the European Union, arguing that personal autonomy is a double-edged sword: it can help justify accommodation of certain religious practices, but it is also susceptible to (mis)representation and can be mobilized in support of positions that delegitimize even modest accommodations, potentially leading to the exclusion of religious minorities who seek the security and safety of mainstream employment.