If my workplace is typical, we dont really know much about our colleagues religious preferences. It is a bit of an unwritten dont ask-dont tell matter, and most employees regard it as a personal realm. Those who work more closely together and know a lot about each other typically know about one anothers religious identity and maybe something about their faith habits. Obviously, most companies guard against employees using their positions to proselytize others. Management of Chandler Serranos Restaurant rightly fired a manager in 2001 who refused to stop leading a Bible study, outside of work, with some of her subordinates, in violation of the Mexican restaurant chains work policies. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission came to the managers defense, lawsuits followed and though a jurys ruling sided with Mexican restaurant chain, a judge tossed out the verdict in August 2005 because he believed it was against the clear weight of the evidence. Another trial was ordered. The Conference Board, a 90-year-old religious research organization, reports that companies are not necessarily holding back when asked to implement religion-friendly activities in the workplace. The faith-at-work movement is beginning to demand serious attention from employers and in some cases pose major workplace challenge, a study summary said. Companies are getting requests to allow workers to form affinity groups (maybe a Christian book club or a lunchtime Book of Mormon study) or other groups for workers who are like-minded in their faith. Prayers breakfasts are being sought. Another common request is for company chaplains to counsel and console employees. Many employers are uncertain how to deal with such emotional and potentially divisive topics, the Conference Board said. How companies frame their response will determine if the issue becomes a legal minefield or a source of competitive advantage, it said.Inappropriate, it said, would be the formation of anything suggesting a faith-based company, but being faith-friendly is acceptable. The key is not to establish anything suggesting privileging one tradition over another. It delineated the goal of a faith-friendly company is to recognize the centrality of faith in many employees and their desire for an integrated holistic life. Faith-friendly companies do this in ways that are respectful of all faiths by creating a culture of respect, diversity, inclusion and tolerance.Companies operating internationally must transcend cultures and function in societies where the idea of separation of church and state is foreign itself, where workers more readily live out their religions in their work areas. The report found that in some companies today in America, employees spend more time with workers than anywhere else, thus recreating what is, in fact, their true community or the hub of life and they want faith to be a part of it. . Not demanding that ones spiritual side be checked at the office door can provide employees with access to a tool to help deal with their emotional and spiritual needs. Strong moral and worker contentment often translates into higher productivity and more customer-friendly attitudes.The Conference Board suggests that caring for both the physical and spiritual health of the workforce is becoming a part of good business practice. It referred to a 2001 study that found that fewer than a third of 550 human resources professionals had any written policy regarding religion in the workplace. It further found that 77 percent of companies named religion as one area that applies to the standard harassment policy, but just 16 percent offered any training on religious accommodation.It concludes that any faith-at-work movement is only its nascent stage, that companies that want to accommodate its believers need to move carefully to balance any religious workplace activity with a show of corporate neutrality. There must be protection of minorities, guarantees of inclusion and practices that prevent lawsuits. The Conference Board sums it all up in its reports title: Faith at Work is No Longer Taboo.

Posted in: Uncategorized |

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.