Article Added On: April 22, 2008 - 18 days ago
Title: Spirituality Inc.
Original URL: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080421.wlchaplains21/BNStory/lifeWork/home
Author: CRAIG SILVERMAN
Publication: The Globe and Mail
Publication Date: April 21, 2008 - 20 days ago
Themes: Religion and society, religious attitudes in Canada

Abstract: Companies are hiring chaplains for heart-to-heart chats with employees. Their first challenge: skepticism

MONTREAL — Just more than a year ago, Sophia Sarah Erese was at work cleaning a hotel suite when a woman entered the room. Thinking it was a guest, Ms. Erese, a 22-year-old housekeeping worker at the High Country Inn in Banff, Alta., apologized to the woman and promised to finish soon.

"Then she introduced herself as a corporate chaplain," says Ms. Erese, who at the time had recently arrived in Canada from the Philippines. "I'd never heard of that job before."

The woman in the doorway was Lee-Ann Lavoie, a former social worker and current master's student in counselling. Since 2006, Ms. Lavoie has been a part-time corporate chaplain at the High Country Inn and its sister properties, offering counselling and workshops to serve the personal and spiritual needs of employees.

"One thing I truly believe is that there is spiritual side of life, and everyone has a spiritual side," Ms. Lavoie says. "Corporate chaplains open people up to that side at work."

Already estimated to number 4,000 in the United States, corporate chaplains are a new breed of counsellors slowly finding their way into Canadian workplaces. They are usually people with a strong Christian faith who also possess a background in social work or counselling.

Chaplains have long served in hospitals and the armed forces, but their arrival in the workplace is recent and, as a result, worries some employees that it may signal the entry of religion into the office.

"Especially when you start at a new company, people question what's going on ... they ask, 'Are you here to preach at me?' " Ms. Lavoie says.

"It takes a few weeks for them to see I'm not there to do anything except offer care and support," she says.

Outreach Canada, a Christian organization based in Delta, B.C., started placing corporate chaplains in businesses in that province and Alberta in 2004. The program has served a dozen companies in industries such as manufacturing, tourism and construction, and currently employs seven chaplains. Earlier this month, Corporate Chaplains Outreach Canada launched in Ontario and has plans to serve the entire country.

Israel Balter, a Toronto employment lawyer with Lang Michener who specializes in human rights issues, says hiring chaplains doesn't raise a legal concern as long as "the employer and the pastoral figure understand that they are not in a position to foist any specific religion upon an employee."

Bruce Mitchell, national director of Corporate Chaplains Outreach Canada, says chaplains are focused on delivering non-religious counselling services. He emphasizes that chaplains do not push religious beliefs on employees, though he acknowledges that some employees initially assume that's the case.

"It's more of a spiritual program than a religious one," he says. "Most people aren't that interested in talking about religion, but they sure would like help with their anorexic daughter, for example."

Mr. Balter views corporate chaplains as a "positive development" in the workplace.

"The fact someone is religious should not disqualify them from providing counselling in the workplace," he says. "Employers are recognizing that employees are spending an increasing amount of time in the workplace, so [employees'] ability to tap into spiritual resources is limited. Affording that access in the workplace is convenient."

Canadian companies are increasingly recognizing the value of serving the spiritual needs of employees. In 2002, Telus Mobility won an award from the Association for Spirit at Work for a program that saw it create prayer, meditation and "quiet" rooms for employees. Edmonton-based CapitalCare, which operates facilities for elderly and disabled adults, offers a spirituality program featuring meditation to nurses and aides.

But Linda Lewis-Daly, who helped create the Telus program and is now an independent workplace wellness consultant, says spirituality in the workplace still has barriers to overcome, citing the misconception that spirituality and religion are the same thing.

"In my experience, when you bring up spirituality, there are two reactions," she says. "Some people say, 'Oh that's religion and we don't talk about politics or religion at work.' Then there are others who go, 'I'd really like to talk with you about that.' "

Ms. Lavoie and a male chaplain visit the High Country Inn and two other hotels once a week and are also available by phone and e-mail. Ms. Lavoie spends the day visiting with employees and meeting one-on-one with anyone who wants to talk. The chaplains have also given workshops about healthy eating on a budget and suicide prevention.

Greg Irwin, director and partner of the High Country Inn, says the staff's initial reaction to chaplains "ranged from quite drastic opposition to 'Finally, you're here.' "

The biggest concern was not religion but confidentiality. Mr. Irwin says chaplains can only share information with management if "a person is involved in an illegal activity that is going to cause bodily harm to another employee. ...

"Even if someone is stealing from the company, the chaplains are not allowed to divulge that to management," he says.

Since their first meeting in the hotel room last year, Ms. Erese says, she has learned a lot from Ms. Lavoie. She's also taught the chaplain a few things.

"Because [housekeepers] can't stop working if chaplains come talk to us, Lee-Ann makes the beds with me," she says. "She's good at it now, but at first I had to be, like, 'Here, this is how you do it.' "