By Emily Drooby
Some of the biggest corporations in America are making it easier and easier for employees of faith.
According to the Associated Press, over 20 percent of the Fortune 100 companies have faith-based resource groups for their employees.
“Google, Tyson, Intel, Facebook, Apple, name brands you know and love are also becoming more faith friendly,” noted Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation, which helps bridge the connection between business and faith.
He and his team are gearing up for a groundbreaking conference at The Catholic University of America, about why providing support for the faithful in the workplace is not just needed – it’s necessary.
“Within the global population, more than eight out of 10 people have a faith, and it’s very important to them,” Grim explained. “And so if you’re made to leave your faith at the door, that’s a real hit for morale…Companies have realized that it’s important you’re able to bring your whole self to work, faith and all.”
It’s a move university business professor William Bowman sees as important. “This changes everything. we’re a whole person, we have our spiritual lives,” he explained. “We have our family lives, we have our work lives, but we are still one person.”
“Companies have realized that it’s important you’re able to bring your whole self to work, faith and all,” said Grim. “Within the global population, more than eight out of 10 people have a faith, and it’s very important to them. And so if you’re made to leave your faith at the door, that’s a real hit for morale.”
While this is a growing trend, conferences like this are important, because there’s still a ways to go.
“What we have found is that a majority of Fortune 100 companies don’t have a faith initiative. They don’t even mention it on their diversity and inclusion pages, even though it’s the law of the land to not discriminate against religion,” Grim added, “so there’s’ a lot of room for growth.”