Have Faith

We haven’t seen much room for religion in the workplace, until now.

Things are changing as the number of workplace religious groups surges—and  multicultural employees are shouting hallelujah.

Ramona Moore Big Eagle lives her life by a biblical credo: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths.” These “paths” include both her personal and professional lives. In her two years in sales at Pitney Bowes in Charlotte, NC, Ramona, who is Native American, was known to utter a joyful “praise God” when colleagues shared news of their promotions. Today, God’s words inform her work as a motivational speaker who runs her own company, Dare to Soar Enterprises, in Charlotte. “God guides my way always, even at work,” says Ramona, 53. “My faith allows me to exude a confidence that no one can take away from me, and I think that’s why I’ve been so successful.”

Religion has historically been seen as a private matter with little place in corporate America. But within the past two decades, a visible workplace faith shift has occurred as companies embrace religious diversity in answer to a growing global economy and to employees asking for their beliefs to be equally represented, according to Os Hillman, director of the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries, based in Cumming, GA. More and more, people like Ramona are bringing their spirituality to work—and more and more, firms are accommodating employees’ need to pray, wear symbols of their faith or perhaps shout hallelujah if the spirit moves them. Nearly 90 percent of Americans consider themselves religious, and for most, spirituality isn’t something that can be shed like an article of clothing during the workweek. “This is a way of life,” says Nurah Amat’ullah, an archival librarian at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City. “I don’t stop being Muslim when I walk in the door to work.”

Many religious tenets—acting with integrity, treating others with respect—offer a perfect blueprint for workplace conduct, experts say. “Spirituality gives people a sense of purpose,” says David Miller, PhD, executive director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and author of God at Work. “It’s an ethical compass and a part of their well-being.”