The Trump administration on Monday released a memo that aims to protect religious expression among federal workers, outlining that employees can attempt to persuade co-workers about why their religious beliefs are “correct.”
The memo outlined conduct that should not result in disciplinary or correct action, including displaying in the office bibles, religious artwork, jewelry, posters displaying religious messages and other indicia of religion “such as crosses, crucifixes and mezuzah.”
The memo also said one or more employees should be allowed to engage in individual or communal religious expressions and that employees can engage in conversations on religious topics “including attempting to persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views, provided that such efforts are not harassing in nature.”
Federal workers can also “encourage their coworkers to participate in religious expressions of faith, such as prayer, to the same extent that they would be permitted to encourage coworkers participate in other personal activities,” the memo said.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) director Scott Kupor sent the memo to heads of departments and agencies with guidance on how to allow personal religious expression by federal employees “to the greatest extent possible unless such expression would impose an undue hardship on business operations.”
OPM worked with the White House Faith Office to produce the memo, a spokesperson told The Hill. Trump established the office in February.
The memo included details about how federal workers can engage with others about why they think their personal faith is “correct” and why others should “re-think” their own beliefs.
“During a break, an employee may engage another in polite discussion of why his faith is correct and why the non-adherent should re-think his religious beliefs. However, if the nonadherent requests such attempts to stop, the employee should honor the request,” the memo added. “An employee may invite another to worship at her church despite being belonging to a different faith.”
The memo outlined specific examples of permissible religious expression in the workplace, like having a Bible on a desk or a Star of David and forming a prayer group with employees while not on duty hours. It also gave the example of a park ranger joining her tour group in prayer or a doctor at a Veterans Affairs hospital praying over a patient.
“The Federal workforce should be a welcoming place for Federal employees who practice a religious faith. Allowing religious discrimination in the Federal workplace violates the law. It also threatens to adversely impact recruitment and retention of highly-qualified employees of faith,” the memo said.
The memo, first reported on by Fox News Digital, follows Trump’s executive order on anti-Christian bias, which aims to protect Christians from religious discrimination.
