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A cautionary tale.

Article Excerpt
When I tell people of my research interest surrounding workplace chaplains, the typical response is one of disbelief. While most are familiar with the concept of military and hospital chaplains, few recognize the role chaplains serve in government entities including police stations, fire departments, and educational institutions. Even fewer are familiar with the notion that chaplains provide employee care in companies ranging from Pepsi-Co and Tyson's to local fastfood franchises and banks.

If the person I talk with has virtually any human resource (HR) expertise, their next question is likely to be: Aren't there legal issues with employing a corporate chaplain?

In the last issue of the Annals (Nimon, 2009), I reported that the primary function of corporate chaplains is to provide employee care. My research (Nimon, Philibert, & Allen, 2008) also indicates that in some companies, corporate chaplains conduct clerical activities that have a religious overtone (e.g., distribution of faith-based material, religious studies, prayer meetings). I find that it is the religious overtone of clerical activities that are typically the cause of concern for my HR friends. Workplace chaplaincy leaders such as Gil Stricklin (Sturgeon, 2004) and Mark Cress (Starcher, 2003) have reported no legal charges against their firms or clients throughout their companies' history. However, my HR friends are usually concerned that some employees may feel that corporate chaplains are trying to push their faith on them, which in turn could lead to a hostile work environment.

Fry and Slocum (2009) echoed this concern and indicated it is important to avoid the negative consequences of a hostile work environment that may result when employers emphasize a particular religion in the workplace....

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