No Harm, No Foul? Organizational Intervention in Workplace Spirituality*

Abstract

Abstract Both academic and popular literature report that employees wish for soul-enriching fulfillment at work, and that employers have at least recognized, and in some cases embraced, this wish. The increasing incidence of spirituality and religion at work (SRW), however, creates an interesting balance for organizational administrators to strike: how should SRW needs be accommodated when crafting policy, given the legal reality of Title VII and the tradition of American workplace secularism? We discuss this tension and suggest that relying on legal compliance or historical organizational secularism is insufficient. Recent evidence offers insight into a “non-interventionist” approach that may assist policy makers in going forward with SRW opportunities.