Faith at work no longer taboo

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), April, 2007

Although in its early stages, the "faith-at-work movement" is beginning to demand serious attention from employers and, in some cases, pose major workplace challenges, concludes a report from The Conference Board, New York. How companies frame their response will determine if the issue becomes a legal minefield or a source of competitive advantage.

Like the social issues that helped define earlier generations, the topic of faith at work has crept into American businesses. Proposals to form affinity groups, prayer breakfasts, and the introduction of corporate chaplains are among the common requests. Other more subtle signs include e-mail signoffs that quote scripture, employee intranet postings inviting colleagues to a religious service, and requests for specific foods in the company cafeteria. The "soul" train, says David W. Miller, executive director of the Yale University Center for Faith and Culture, New Haven, Conn., has left the station. He points out that the faith-at-work movement still is in its early stages and companies are uncertain how to respond. He observes that this is not unlike when the civil, women's, and gay and lesbian rights movements were just emerging.

Miller makes a distinction between being "faith-based" and "faith-friendly." He finds the former inappropriate for most large organizations, particularly if they are publicly-traded companies, since faith-based implies privileging one tradition over another. However, he concludes that a "faith-friendly" company is welcoming of all traditions where everyone is treated on an even playing field. The goal of a faith-friendly company is to recognize the centrality of faith in many employees and their desire to live an integrated holistic life. Faith-friendly firms do this in ways that are respectful of all faiths by creating a culture of respect, diversity, inclusion, and tolerance.

Certain geopolitical and demographic factors eventually will force the issue for U.S. companies, the report predicts. Immigration is creating a more religiously (and ethnically) diverse workforce that only will grow in importance and number. Globalization means U.S. firms are coming in contact with cultures in which religion is ingrained deeply in the day-to-day workplace and the American emphasis on separation of church and state is antithetical.

"For individuals, the office has become their community, their hub of life, and they want their faith to be a part of it," notes the report. "Not demanding that one's 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 morals and worker contentment often translate into higher productivity and more customer-friendly attitudes."