The growth of diversity in the workplace, along with the influence of religion in America, has brought faith -- once as taboo in the office as talk of sex and politics -- to the job, experts say.
"Work is invading people's personal lives, so people are bringing more of their personal lives to the workplace," said Paula Brantner, director of Workplace Fairness, a Washington, D.C.-based group that promotes employee rights.
Religious expression at work may take the form of affinity groups or faith networks, prayers at business meetings or the citation of Biblical verse in office memos.
If people are going to be permitted to pray religion during business meetings, I certainly think I should be permitted to have sex on the conference tables during business meetings. I’d only be bringing my personal life to the workplace because work is invading my personal life… my personal life just involves less praying and more ‘laying.’
"We have an increase in the number of employers and employees who are choosing not to hide their faith," said Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute in Sacramento, California, which provides legal defense for religious freedoms.
- Religion finds firm footing in some offices
There is a difference between praying during business meetings and not “hiding” your faith. There are many things that I don’t hide that I wouldn’t do at business meetings (having sex on conference tables apparently isn’t one of these things). Being openly Christian is one thing; posting your Christianity at the top of business memos is another. You’re Christian. You like to pray. You like the Bible. We got it.
I don’t think any of this is a direct violation of Title 7 unless it affects hiring and promotions. However, I’d be much less likely to work for a company that had say, Bible study on its premises. Being a non-Christian minority in setting where openly Christian practices are acceptable makes it more difficult to navigate networking and promotions—somewhat like being a woman navigating the “old boys club” of some larger corporations. It’s not that religion itself makes me uncomfortable. I live in the Midwest of the United States. Religion, frankly, is all around. However, it would be lovely to keep theism entirely unlinked to my wages.
5 comments:
If people are going to be permitted to pray religion during business meetings, I certainly think I should be permitted to have sex on the conference tables during business meetings.
What if you're having sex while praying on the conference table? It's about the only time I ever say "oh god!"
It's about the only time I ever say "oh god!"
Me too. It is kind of like praying, yes? I know sound awfully grateful, and prayer is all about gratitude.
I’m job searching soon, so I’ll have to run all this by my potential employers. ;)
I know exactly what you're saying. It's not illegal, per se, it's more like, that intangible feeling you get that says "You're not welcome here." This is a Christian workplace.
And let's face it; work is more than that thing you go to to get a paycheck; when it's your full-time job, it becomes your social circle. You see the people around you every day, there's office parties or functions, you get together after work, and these are the people you have the most in common with, because it's where you spend the lion's share of your waking hours.
But if everyone around you, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week have a very different value structure from you, what then? Work is going to be a very lonely place.
I actually had sex on a conference table once, and it involved somebody else. But it wasn't during a business meeting, I KNEW it was missing something! But it gave me pleasant memories to get through future meetings.
Go Buckeyes!
I would have to do a prayer to for laughs-
We thank you oh merciful Satan, please blight out the Christian scourges that forever keep us oppressed, etc.
And I would be fired that day.
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