A national debate is developing in America on the role of religion in the public square especially in the workplace.  Since the start of this year, PBS has done a special report on Faith in the Workplace.  ABC News reported on Corporate Chaplaincy programs.  CNBC TV did an assignment on God and Money hosted by Tyler Mathisen.  Articles have appeared in major newspapers, the Los Angeles Times;  Washington Post  and the Boston Globe.

Os Hillman  of the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries describes the growth of this phenomenon. 'There has been a proliferation of corporate groups in the last few years, says Hillman, "One reason is the failure of ethics in corporate America, and another factor is that people are spending more time at work than they did 10 years ago. Corporations are realizing that the employees' total life must be represented."  Laura Nash  of Harvard Business School says, "People have this very deep sense that they need to connect what's most important in their lives to work, because work is taking up more and more of their life and they don't want to leave their whole self behind."

In March, an NBC poll found that "58 percent of respondents said their religious beliefs played some role in the decisions they made at work, and 65 percent said those beliefs influenced how they interacted with co-workers."  A previous 2002 survey by Gallup found two-thirds of workers believe expressions of religion ought to be tolerated.  In 2001, the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding surveyed Human Resource professionals finding a twenty percent increase in religious accommodation requests at work.

Along with the increase of faith at work, religious discrimination in the workplace has been increasing.  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports 2,466 complaints in 2004, up from 1,388 in 1992. This has resulted in increased litigation. 

The Alliance Defense Fund has a pamphlet available for Employers to help guide faith expression in the workplace. The Truth about Faith in the Workplace

Legislation in the form of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act is working its way through congress.  It's purpose is to amend the Civil Rights Act to give employees reasonable grounds upon which to express their faith at work and to guide employers in policy for religious expression in the workplace.   It has bipartisan support.  (For lists and links to various government initiatives for religious freedom at work click here.)

A potential backlash against faith in the workplace is developing. The American Civil Liberties Union is opposed to HR 1445.   Faith, especially evangelical faith, is seen by mainstream media as a negative thing so it is often framed in news stories as an alarming trend. In response to the article in the Los Angeles Times,  a reader fears intolerant religion is "taking over" the workplace.  To read the letter visit TitusOnline blog. To view blog comments responding to the "taking over" assertion click here.

Workplace discussions have been politicized by the religious convictions of President Bush who takes his faith to work.  Concern has been expressed at "an atmosphere of pervasive religious pressure" in the American Air Force Academy.   Secularists fear religion in the workplace is an indication that we are moving towards a theocracy.  On the other hand, self styled "Christian" conservative companies are trying to capitalize on the political convictions of Christians.

In summary, momentum for faith at work is growing. It a social phenomena that may transform the American workplace and have a major cultural impact in the 21st Century. Laura Nash feels it will have a positive impact on the American Workplace as long as "it’s not used to beat up people and form clubs".

Some question I'd like the Faith at Work Community to be asking about this movement are:

-         What is going on? Why is this happening?

-         Where is the Church in this picture? How is it a support or a discouragement for this movement?

-         Is it God at work or are there other social trends driving it?  How does this movement fit with God's purposes for the world, for the marketplace?

-         What does a transformed marketplace look like?  What are some precursors or models?

-         What is the "groan" at the heart of the workplace believer who wants to bring his/her faith to work?

-         What is the thinking that is at play in the mind of workers that is shaping this movement?

-         What role do leaders in the Faith At Work movement have in influencing and shaping these developments?

These are some of the questions the FAWB will explore in future posts.  Please stay tuned!