Editorial

With the season of Lent upon us, there are many Catholics who will show up at work with ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. Will they feel a subtle message that such expressions of religious faith are inappropriate? Or will some employers even ask them to wipe the ashes off?

As someone who works in a Catholic office environment, I do not have to deal with such problems. But I have heard of some offices where religious expressions are frowned upon, if not downright discouraged.

We all remember hearing about the case of Nadia Eweida, the Christian employee of British Airways who was requested by her employer to cover up her cross to keep the airline's uniform neutral. A recent story reported that "only" one in 10 employers impose restrictions on religious dress or jewelry, although some restrictions are due to health and safety reasons. One in 10 seems pretty high to me!

Encouraging diversity. While our society seems to be encouraging diversity in the workplace (witness efforts to provide affirmative action hiring policies and partner benefits), there does not seem to be the same level of encouragement for religious expression in the workplace.

As you can see by the graphic at right [print edition only], many Americans do not like to see any sign of religion at work. Thirty-four percent of those surveyed by Gallop said religious expression should be discouraged. On the bright side, 32 percent said it should be encouraged and another 32 percent will tolerate it.

Religious rights. Just what are our rights when it comes to religion in the workplace? Religious bias ranks right up there with race, sex, and age discrimination as forbidden workplace behavior under federal civil rights laws. Yet reports of religious discrimination are on the rise, according to an article on the beliefnet Web site.

The Supreme Court has required employers to make reasonable accommodations for a worker's religious belief as long as the employer is not unduly burdened. These include a workers' right to keep a Bible or other religious book on their desk to read during breaks; discuss their religious views, subject to the same rules that apply to other employee personal expression; wear religious jewelry or display a religious message on clothing; and ask a co-worker to a religious service.

Lewis Maltby, head of the National Work Rights Institute, says that workers have a right to bring their beliefs to work, as long as people have the "good manners" to let others bring their values, too. He says, "After all, if you can talk about sports or politics on the job, why can't you talk about something really important, like what you believe?"

Express our faith. So it seems workers should not be afraid to express their faith at work. It's an opportunity to evangelize and share our faith in a positive way, especially during the season of Lent.

Of course, we also show our faith by our actions. As Pope Benedict XVI said in his Lenten message, contemplating Christ's sacrifice on the cross should move us "to fight every form of contempt for life and human exploitation and to alleviate the tragedies of loneliness and abandonment of so many people. May Lent be for every Christian a renewed experience of God's love given to us in Christ, a love that each day we, in turn, must 'regive' to our neighbor, especially to the one who suffers most and is in need."

During Lent let us take time out of our busy schedules to pray, fast, give alms, and deepen our faith. It might mean taking a "faith break" during our work day or lunch time - or making a stop at church before or after work. Let's make faith a priority in our lives - not just during Lent but throughout the year.

Mary C. Uhler

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