Recently we had a member ask, “Is it really important that my policies are faith based?”
This HR professional crafted a compliant and resourceful handbook, including mission and values statements. However, it lacked a clear identification as a religious, specifically Catholic, organization. Relying solely on secular policies may not align with Catholic teachings and core beliefs, even for organizations not overtly Catholic.
Why is it necessary that our handbooks and other HR documents clearly and consistently tie their Catholic identity, its values, mission and teachings, to all policies and communications.
You need to protect your rights to the religious freedoms afforded to your institution.
One of the biggest threats facing Catholic institutions is their right to select, discipline, and discharge employees based on religious standards.
When a Catholic organization faces a legal challenge about following its religious beliefs, the court will ask if the organization’s rules and guidelines (written in official documents) support the contested policy.
This issue is amplified when faith-based employment policies conflict with the conduct and lifestyle of employees. Employees’ support of and engagement in conduct contrary to Catholic teaching have generated lawsuits against religious organizations and threatened their missions, reputations, and finances.
If the organization can prove that the policy has been part of its beliefs for a long time and that it’s based on religious principles and makes sense, the court is more likely to support the organization’s right to follow that policy. The key is to have clear and well-explained rules in their official documents.
A faith-based handbook plays a crucial role in shaping your organizational culture and ensuring that your workforce understands and respects your core beliefs.
Contextualizing your Catholic beliefs helps forms employee in your religious mission. It provides clarity on the expectations you have of your employees in terms of their conduct and interactions with each other, clients, and the community. This clarity helps in reducing misunderstandings but also fosters a cohesive work environment where everyone is on the same page regarding your faith-driven principles.
It can serve as a powerful tool for attracting and retaining like-minded individuals who share your values and beliefs. It helps create a workforce that is not just there to perform tasks but one that aligns with your mission and values, contributing to the overall success and growth of our organization.
Like other members you may be thinking “I don’t have time to update all of my policies and where do I start?”
We all know that updating or creating a handbook takes a lot of time and effort. Most of us are already overwhelmed with other priorities. So don’t worry about updating all of your policies. Many policies might not even need to be updated. But for those that do, start small.
Things to consider:
- Consider updating key policies now and doing a full review/update later.
- Start with updating your mission and vision statement and incorporating them into the forefront of your handbook.
- Incorporate key words from those Statements into policies that reference behavior such as your policies that address: codes of conflict, performance reviews, attendance, workplace violence, harassment, orientation period, discipline, conflict of interest.
- Consider updating policies that are central to employee expectations, behaviors and conduct.
- Most handbooks contain policies around Code of Conduct, PTO policy, Confidentiality, Use of Technology, Benefits, or Meal breaks. It could be that you don’t need to incorporate your Catholic identity into your PTO or Meal break policy.
- Ensure that any Acknowledgement forms include acknowledging your core principles/beliefs.
- ·Clearly communicate any change to your handbook or other policy.
- Ensure that you notify all staff of changes using email, employee portal notifications, team meetings, text or acknowledgement forms. Although it’s not necessary, having an online version of your handbook is much easier to maintain and update.
- By incorporating language from Church teachings, scripture, or referencing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, policies can transcend mere instructions and become a call to live out our core beliefs. The recognition of the dignity of the human person as the bedrock of a moral vision for society becomes the foundation of these policies.
- By tying in core beliefs, Church teachings, scripture, and language from the Code of Conduct or other key statements, the connection between Catholic identity and the policies is strengthened. This approach aligns with the teachings of the Catechism, which provide guidance on the moral principles that should shape our actions and interactions.
Take for example this Confidentiality policy that is similar to what you might find on SHRM:
- Original policy: Safeguarding confidential business information and trade secrets is paramount to [COMPANY NAME]’s interests and prosperity. We define confidential information as data known to employees due to their employment with the company, which is not generally accessible to individuals outside the organization concerning our business.
- Improper use or disclosure of trade secrets or confidential business information by an employee may result in disciplinary measures, up to and including termination of employment, and potential legal action, irrespective of whether the employee personally benefits from the disclosure.”
Consider this same policy with added language such as:
- In order to integrate the example of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church in every aspect of our work we actively promote and encourage the highest level of ethics within the Catholic Church organization we serve.
- In accordance with the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, our employee confidentiality policy is rooted in our dedication to respecting and valuing the inherent dignity of each person, as proclaimed in the Gospel of Matthew: ‘So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’
By integrating the principles of our faith into our employment policies, we safeguard our religious freedom and cultivate a work environment that upholds our core values. Embracing our Catholic identity and values empowers our employees to live out their faith in their professional lives, reflecting a longstanding Church tradition of ethical conduct that influences our interactions with others, both within and outside the workplace.
Remember, the CBA is here to help you enhance your Catholic identity. As part of your CBA membership, we can support you by reviewing your handbook and policies, providing sample language and scripture and giving recommendations on areas that may need strengthening.