Regardless of the future that the anti-islam movement Pegida might have, it has instigated a major debate in Germany with regard to the opportunities and the issues around immigration, the place of Islam in German society and how to live together in a country with many different religions and different lifestyles. As a reaction, the President of the Federation of German Employers BDA Ingo Kramer, stressed that Germany needed immigration to face the shortage of labour. German companies that are at the heart of German society are also feeling the pinch of this debate. Even if generally speaking the people responsible for diversity are hesitant to tackle the topic, a change is noticeable and an increasing number of companies are starting to take into account the religious need of their employees.
A taboo subject. “The question of religion is a very hot topic”, states Petra Köppel, manager at Synergy Consult (Consultancy firm specializing in diversity in companies and located near Munich). Religion and especially Islam has become a major issue for German society and has been bitterly discussed throughout the country. However companies are afraid to debate conflict type situations. “It is an enormous taboo subject that is best avoided. Business talks about cultural diversity, international management and even touch on integrating immigrant workers.
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