I listened to someone named Michael Bach on the radio yesterday. Mr. Bach is the Director of Diversity for KPMG, a large, country-wide company which provides audit and tax services. Presumably the goal for KPMG is to make a ton of money. It has also decided that diversity is a reality of our culture to be embraced, not a problem to be lamented. Bach and others noticed that Muslims on staff would leave the building in search of a mosque for prayer during the day. Even if they were on lunch or breaks, they were gone for a while. So, they set up a quiet room which can be booked for prayer or contemplation of any kind. Employees do this online and, lo and behold, lots of them are doing so. It isn't just Muslims. Christians, Buddhists, people who just want quiet book their few minutes of tranquility. Bach commented that they realized faith doesn't get left at the door when employees come to work, any more than they stop caring about their families.
I am impressed. If a company dedicated to making a profit decides that it will respect religious diversity, can it be so hard for the rest of society.
Thoughts?
I work for a firm that has a quiet room and it is used daily and not only by Muslim employees. The booking is made online, the same as the empty offices that are not in use due to local employees on vacation or on a job site. We often have visiting employees from offices across the globe and they appreciate the quiet room and the chance to take a few moments to themselves and a breather in a busy day. This was a new concept to me and I confess I have not made use of it but appreciate the fact it is there should I wish to.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us know about your situation dmy. It's good to hear about these initiatives. I sometimes wonder about the relative inaccessibility of our church "quiet space" during the week. I wonder if anyone would be interested in coming in for contemplation between Sundays?
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