God in the Office: Religion in the Workplace

Most of the world’s great religions were created in environments that were vastly different from today’s offices. In the office world, there are no bodhi trees for seekers to sit under waiting for enlightenment, no mountains or caves where prophets can rendezvous with The Almighty. At work we are cut off from sunsets and rainbows, starlight and moonlight, everything that connected the ancients with the gods and goddesses they believed created them. Instead, we have a world that appears to be totally under human control, in which bosses wielding nearly absolute power over our daily lives can easily become idols to whom we continually offer ritualistic, but spiritually empty sacrifices.

In such a world, it’s easy to feel that one’s spiritual life exists only somewhere else, never in the office. There’s also the fact that in many office cultures, “don’t ask, don’t tell” has become an unspoken rule where religion is concerned. Given the amount of conflict in the world at large for which religion serves as an excuse, that’s probably for the best, but I can’t help feeling sad that it has to be that way. Personally, I find it enriching to learn about the beliefs and practices of those whose religions differ from my own and wish we could share about them more openly. I’ve sometimes wondered what would happen if a bunch of people at my office simply sat down and “came out” about their religions – or the lack thereof – to one another. Would a string of holy wars then prevent us from working together? Or would knowing more about others’ beliefs help us understand behaviors that we might otherwise find mysterious?

Strangely, while coworkers may not reveal their religions to us in words, they may do so in other ways. Headgear, hairstyles, jewelry, pictures, poems, or prayers posted on office bulletin boards, avoidance of particular foods or disappearance on certain days of the year may all serve as cues to the observant. Not knowing exactly what is sacred to whom may make it difficult for people to keep from trampling on each others’ religious sensitivities even when intentions are good. The problem becomes even greater when one attends a wedding, funeral, or other ceremony for a coworker of a different faith from one’s own. For those wrestling with such issues, I recommend How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook by Stuart M. Matlins and Arthur J. Magida. 

Meanwhile, office life, especially in for-profit organizations, can also be problematic for those who practice religions that are anti-materialistic, i.e., most major ones. Moses became enraged when he caught the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. Jesus instructed his followers to sell all their goods and give them to the poor. Mohammad said there was only one god, an immaterial one called Allah. Buddha left the riches of his childhood home to live a life of voluntary poverty. What would any of these great teachers have said about workers devoting their lives to maximizing profits so as to buy more stuff? How do their present-day followers keep from feeling horribly guilty in a world that demands continual service to mammon? How does one stay anchored to one’s faith even in such a world?

These are questions to which there are no easy answers. For me, part of the answer has been to work only for non-profit organizations, though if I had to work for a corporation to support my family I would. Another part involves small, daily acts that help me stay spiritually connected, such as taking a few minutes every day to pray or meditate, listening to sacred music with headphones, or communicating with church friends by e-mail during my workdays.

I’ve given you my thoughts on religion in the office, but what are yours? Do you talk openly about your beliefs at work or not at all? How do you stay connected to what matters most to you? Whether you’re religious or not, what keeps you feeling peaceful at work?

Coming next: Office Movies 101: Office Space