Incentive - January 2009 - (Page 32)

demands or requests from people of all backgrounds for greater respect, and of the fact that every individual is a spiritual or religious being,” says Tulin. “Folks are feeling the need or right to raise these [religious] issues as requests.” Refrigerators to Counselors The idea of a prayer room and adjacent washroom at Ford’s headquarters came from the Ford Interfaith Network, an eight-yearold affinity group of about 4,000 employees whose goals are to create a more faithfriendly workplace and educate others about the different religions celebrated by the company’s 228,000 global workers, says Marcey Evans, a company spokesperson who is also Ford’s corporate news manager. The network has been instrumental in prompting other workplace changes, too. “Folks are feeling the need or right to raise these [religious] issues.” —David Tulin, Global Lead For example, the company’s cafeteria offers a larger variety of food choices with ingredient labels, and on various holidays serves traditional holiday foods. “Employees have said they don’t have to leave part of themselves at the door when they come to work,” Evans says. “They can bring their entire self to work and be personally accommodated from a faith standpoint. Because they don’t have to worry how they’re going to fit in that [spiritual] part of their life, it makes them more productive, loyal, more well-balanced all around.” Small companies are also making changes. At ONE: The Digital Dialogue, a New York firm that publishes information on Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, writing deadlines are carefully set around religious holidays. But if a holiday falls on a weekday, the firm’s 10 employees have the option of working on Sunday instead, according to Fran Kane, the firm’s cofounder and president. Kane suggests other simple accommodations. For example, some orthodox religions forbid single individuals of the opposite sex from sharing the same physical space. So when assigning cubicles, she suggests offering these employees the opportunity to choose a workspace that is flanked by coworkers of the same sex. Another idea: Consider buying a second refrigerator for the employees’ lunchroom. Jewish employees who keep kosher, Muslim workers who don’t eat pork or Hindus who are vegetarians may feel uncomfortable storing their lunch or snacks next to foods they consider taboo. Even if the refrigerator is small—like those found in college dorm rooms—she says employees will appreciate the effort. Other companies offer a spiritual counselor. Over the past nine years, Chris Hobgood has helped employees at more than 20 different companies resolve professional and personal problems. Hobgood is vice president of chaplain and project development at Corporate Chaplains of America in Lawrenceville, Ga., which provides companies in 22 states with nondenominational, nonsectarian chaplains. Back in 2004, he consulted with one Atlanta employer that was including an employee prayer room in its new corporate headquarters. He says the carpet and padding were upgraded so employees could comfortably kneel, meditate or bow their heads to the floor for long periods of time. The room was in a discreet location, featuring soundproofed walls and lots of open space. It required an employee key card to gain access, and resembled a living room, not a house of worship. Roughly 20 percent of the company’s employees take advantage of it, he says. Hobgood says accommodating religious requests really helps employers care for the whole employee—body, mind and spirit. There are practical considerations, too, for employers. Back in 1999, the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, in New York, conducted a national survey of roughly 700 U.S. employees who observed minority religions. Almost half of those surveyed—45 percent—who directly experienced bias or knew of coworkers who did were thinking of leaving their job, says Georgette Bennett, the organization’s president and founder. About half stated that religious bias negatively impacted their productivity. Greatest Fear Few companies go so far as to construct prayer space for their workers. More typical employee accommodations include floating holidays instead of assigned holidays and an expanded dress code, enabling employees to wear nontraditional business attire, such as a burka or hijab. Then there’s the holiday swap, where employees work on each other’s holidays so they can celebrate their own, adds Bennett. But some companies are fearful that honoring an employee’s religious request is a little like opening Pandora’s box. Bennett says her organization has never come across any situations in which the floodgates for religious requests have opened. In fact, a little bit of creativity, good will and collaboration usually goes a long way. “These situations are always quite manageable,” says Bennett. “By creating a welcoming and inclusive work environment and not making members of minority religions feel like second-class citizens, a company reaps big rewards in terms of employee productivity and loyalty.” Send comments to feedback@incentivemag.com 32 | Incentive | January 2009 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - January 2009

Incentive - January 2009 Contents Editor's Note: Rewards Must Be Sustainable Headlines Cover Story: Responsibility's New Role Incentive Interview: Patrick Lencioni Family Rewards: Who They're Working For Primer: Working Design Leap of Faith: Religion in the Workplace Cook Up Engagement: Kitchen Teambuilding My Turn: Procurement Possibilities Motivation@Work: Hard Times Recognition Legal Ease: The Tax Facts on Corporate Gifts Travel News: Where to Go and What to Do The Bahamas: Islands in the Sun Field Reports: Four European Destinations Golf: Around the World in 18 Holes Potentials Here and Now Watches and Clocks: Strike the Pose Golf Merchandise: Awards with a Solid Swing Computers: Digital Delights Retailers Band Together for Gift Card Market Gift Cards: The Prepaid Reward Spectrum Advertiser Index On the Web www.Incentivemag.com

Incentive - January 2009

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