EGN NEWS DESK
Once taboo within the company world, faith is gaining traction in Fortune 500 range efforts, based on a brand new report from the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation.
More than 85% of Fortune 500 firms (429 firms complete) now embrace faith of their dedication to range, greater than twice the quantity that did in 2022, per the 2024 Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) Index and Monitor. And 62 Fortune 500 firms (12.4%) now showcase faith-based worker enterprise useful resource teams, up from 7.4% in 2022.
These numbers signify a “tipping level,” mentioned Religious Freedom and Business Foundation President Brian Grim, within the variety of firms embracing faith as a core part of range. He added that this yr, firms had been particularly attentive to how individuals of religion responded to international information, together with the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“That has meant paying slightly bit extra consideration than they did up to now to religion identities,” he instructed Religion News Service. “Quite a lot of firms have reached out and relied on their religion worker useful resource teams to assist in the navigation of all these points.”
The group launched its 2024 benchmark evaluation of company America’s non secular range efforts Monday morning. This yr, Accenture and American Airlines tied as essentially the most faith-friendly Fortune 500 firms, each incomes excellent scores on the index, which assessed over 30 faith-friendly firms through an opt-in survey. The survey evaluated firms in 11 classes, together with their non secular lodging, non secular care/chaplaincy companies and procedures for reporting discrimination. Equinix, Dell Technologies, Intel Corporation, Salesforce and Tyson Foods all adopted shut behind the highest scorers.
Grim mentioned Accenture stood out for proactively creating a company tradition hospitable to spiritual identification. American Airlines, which additionally topped the REDI Index in 2022, brings nice international sensitivity to its non secular range efforts because of its worldwide attain, Grim added.
“At American Airlines, our function is to look after individuals on life’s journey, together with our clients and our 130,000 staff members,” Cedric Rockamore, the vp of worldwide individuals operations at American Airlines, mentioned in a press launch. “Our staff members, throughout all faiths and beliefs, assist us higher perceive and serve our clients around the globe.”
Among the 32 prime firms assessed through the REDI Index, 100% reportedly rejoice their staff’ holy days in an equitable method, based on the report. Seventy-two p.c match worker donations to spiritual charities and 87% present chaplains or different types of non secular care for his or her staff.
Companies that did not take the survey had been ranked individually on their non secular range efforts through the REDI Monitor, which was based mostly on publicly obtainable info.
Grim mentioned firms’ method to spiritual range is usually counter-cultural; companies that may in any other case be in competitors are fast to share finest practices for non secular inclusion and collaborate on occasions. The Christian and Black worker assets teams at Intel and Microsoft, for instance, not too long ago teamed as much as host a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, he mentioned. On Wednesday, DELL Technologies’ interfaith worker useful resource group is working with Merck, CVS Health and three native religion teams to host a hands-on meals packaging occasion in Washington, D.C.
“I believe that is a really hopeful development in these polarizing occasions,” mentioned Grim.
The curiosity in company non secular range can be spreading globally, based on Grim, who famous that the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation held a world convention in India in December and launched REDI Index and Monitor findings for firms within the United Kingdom in March.
On Tuesday, the inspiration’s annual “Dare to Overcome” convention will convey a whole lot of leaders from Fortune 500 firms to Washington, D.C., to debate matters like office chaplaincy, analysis on religion and religion lodging within the office.
© Religion News Service
