What is corporate chaplaincy?

Corporate chaplains provide personal, voluntary, and confidential employee care benefit available to employees, their households and immediate families. Corporate chaplaincy provides the benefit of caring, compassionate chaplains available to serve all employees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Chaplains are there to assure that employees do not have to feel alone when life gets overwhelming; they also assure that managers are not alone when trying to deal with the complex personal situations that employees bring to work. As chaplains build relationships with employees, they are available to provide support and encouragement when things are going well. They are also there to help facilitate creative problem solving when employees are struggling with any number of personal issues.

 

What is the role of the chaplain?

Be available to all employees and immediate family members in a pastoral capacity.
Build workplace relationships through regular on-site visits, where trust can grow.
Engage in intercessory prayer for ownership and employees.
Provide moral and spiritual support for business leadership.
Provide a confidential, on-site mentor to assist and work through personal issues.
Promote Christian values through Bible studies/chapel services (when requested). 
Be available to employees for emergency situations.
Officiate weddings and conclude pre-marital counseling before the ceremony.
Offer bereavement care, staff crisis management and conduct funerals.
Be advised of the need of hospital or jail visits by the client company.
Supply referrals to licensed counselors for critical counseling needs.  

 

What are the benefits a chaplain offers to help the company’s management team?

Chaplains are available to serve employees as well as the company leaders.  Chaplains provide prayer support, help executives and managers resolve personal problems, and serve as a resource for company leaders by always being available for any type of assistance.  With a chaplain in the workplace, managers can focus on the productivity of the company and doing that for which they are trained, rather than on the plethora of relational issues that otherwise seem to consume so much time—often these issues are outside the scope of the manager’s expertise as well. A chaplain, therefore, frees managers to do what they do best.

 

Don’t chaplains in the workplace interfere with employees getting their jobs done and/or create safety hazards?

The amount of time a chaplain spends visiting employees in the workplace is dependent upon the number of employees with whom he or she has conversations, as well as the number of business locations being served. The typical workplace chaplain/employee interface lasts only a few minutes and occurs regularly (usually weekly). If the employee would like to have a more in-depth discussion or requests additional assistance from the chaplain, follow-up conversations are arranged outside of work hours. These arrangements may include sending an email, a phone call, or getting together at break or lunch time. Additionally, a more in-depth discussion may occur at a neutral location, or possibly even the employee’s home.

 

Do chaplains “push religion” or focus primarily on the religious needs of employees?

No. Our chaplains are sensitive to any needs employees may have. Our chaplain’s approach is based on the military or hospital chaplain model – a neutral, nurturing, and always available caregiver – and focuses on helping employees and families better manage and respond to basic personal life and work issues. Because it is not an organized religious program, nothing is done that violates religious discrimination, civil rights, or privacy laws.

 

How will the program be introduced to my employees?

Before a chaplain starts work with a company, an orientation meeting is held to explain the ground rules, including chaplain confidentiality. This meeting is similar in tone and function to other benefits orientation meetings, with a time for questions and answers. At the end of the orientation, employees receive a business card with the chaplain’s cell phone number, email, etc. The chaplain’s contact information is also posted on bulletin boards and listed in other company communication vehicles.

How will the chaplain care for employees?

The chaplain will make a brief personal contact with every employee who desires it, at the designated day/time set by business leadership. While providing an uplifting moment of encouragement, the chaplain will build care relationships with the employees. Additionally, employees can call their chaplain any time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to help with personal crisis management.

 

What about employees who may not want a chaplain?

A chaplain is a resource to your employees, not a service.  That means it is up to your employees as to how and if they want to communicate with a chaplain.  It is on your employee’s terms.  A chaplain builds relationships with your employees, and through time, earns their trust. 

 

What types of cases typically involve chaplains?

Chaplains are certified to enter jail facilities, emergency rooms, and accident scenes. Chaplains will assist employees with issues pertaining to hospital care, family and marriage care, substance abuse, stress management, and interpersonal conflicts. Chaplains can also officiate at wedding ceremonies and funeral services.

 

Does the chaplain provide long-term counseling services?

Chaplains will not provide long-term counseling services, but chaplains will provide care for those who are in need of professional counseling by helping to connect them with a suitable counselor, either from the company’s insurance network or from our own referral network.

 

What type of special training will my chaplain have?

Because a thorough understanding of the function of the workplace environment is essential, all chaplains have experience providing care in a variety of marketplace settings. A well-rounded educational background and completion of our chaplain certification program is required.

 

Does Go To Them, LLC require chaplains to be affiliated with any specific church or denomination?

No.

Can a chaplain effectively care for employees from varied religious backgrounds?

Yes. Chaplains are skilled workplace caregivers who are trained in providing care in a diverse environment.

 

How is the chaplain program funded?

A flat fee is charged based on a number of contributing factors, including the number of employees and the duration and frequency of site visits.  There are no additional fees based on number of crisis interventions or hours of service. A modest honorarium is suggested for chaplains officiating at weddings and funerals.

 

Is there a legal concern associated with offering a chaplain program?

No. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits religious discrimination by employers with 15 or more workers. Under Title VII, employers:

1. May not treat employees or job applicants more or less favorably because of their religious beliefs.

2. May not force employees to participate in a religious activity.

3. Must reasonably accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer.

4. Must take steps to prevent religious harassment of their employees.

Chaplains are also familiar with, and work within, the parameters of the White House Guidelines for Religion in the Federal Workplace.  Furthermore, during more than 60 years of workplace chaplaincy history, no company offering a chaplain program, nor any chaplain agency, has been the target of litigation concerning chaplain care. When a chaplain program is voluntary and non-denominational, it fulfills the positive requirement of enhancing a faith and diversity friendly environment in the workplace.
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

 

What are the benefits of outsourcing chaplaincy rather than hiring my own chaplain?

There are several benefits to outsourcing chaplain care. First, outsourcing is more cost effective than hiring a full-time staff person. Second, Go To Them’s support network gives your company access to other trained, experienced chaplains. Finally, outsourcing chaplain services provides greater confidentiality and objectivity.