The Trump administration launched a memo Monday that goals to guard spiritual expression amongst federal staff, outlining that workers can try to influence co-workers about why their spiritual beliefs are “correct.”
The memo outlined conduct that ought to not lead to disciplinary or corrective motion, together with displaying within the workplace bibles, spiritual paintings, jewellery, posters displaying spiritual messages and different indicia of faith “such as crosses, crucifixes and mezuzah.”
The memo additionally stated a number of workers must be allowed to have interaction in particular person or communal spiritual expressions and that workers can have interaction in conversations on spiritual subjects “including attempting to persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views, provided that such efforts are not harassing in nature.”
Federal staff can even “encourage their coworkers to participate in religious expressions of faith, such as prayer, to the same extent that they would be permitted to encourage coworkers participate in other personal activities,” the memo stated.
Workplace of Personnel Administration (OPM) Director Scott Kupor despatched the memo to heads of departments and businesses with steering on how one can permit private spiritual expression by federal workers “to the greatest extent possible unless such expression would impose an undue hardship on business operations.”
The OPM labored with the White Home Religion Workplace to provide the memo, a spokesperson informed The Hill. President Trump established the workplace in February.
The memo included particulars about how federal staff can have interaction with others about why they suppose their private religion is “correct” and why others ought to “re-think” their very own beliefs.
“During a break, an employee may engage another in polite discussion of why his faith is correct and why the non-adherent should re-think his religious beliefs. However, if the nonadherent requests such attempts to stop, the employee should honor the request,” the memo added. “An employee may invite another to worship at her church despite being belonging to a different faith.”
The memo outlined particular examples of permissible spiritual expression within the office, like having a Bible on a desk or a Star of David and forming a prayer group with workers whereas not on responsibility hours. It additionally gave the instance of a park ranger becoming a member of her tour group in prayer or a physician at a Veterans Affairs hospital praying over a affected person.
“The Federal workforce should be a welcoming place for Federal employees who practice a religious faith. Allowing religious discrimination in the Federal workplace violates the law. It also threatens to adversely impact recruitment and retention of highly-qualified employees of faith,” the memo stated.
The memo, first reported on by Fox Information Digital, follows Trump’s govt order on anti-Christian bias, which goals to guard Christians from spiritual discrimination.
