The White House has issued updated guidance that enables federal employees to display Bibles and partake in religious conversations in the workplace. This comes as a continued effort to safeguard religious liberty under federal law. According to the new guidelines issued by the Office of Personnel Management, public employees are permitted to discuss religion, participate in communal religious expressions, and display religious items such as Bibles, crucifixes, or mezuzahs on their desks.
The guidance states that while religious discussions are allowed, they must not be harassing in nature and must respect the wishes of colleagues who may find such conversations unwelcome. 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 non-adherent requests such attempts to stop, the employee should honor the request. The memo also aligns with current guidelines from the Department of Labor, which specify that staff who seek to proselytize in the workplace should cease doing so with respect to any individual who indicates that the communications are unwelcome.
These guidelines follow the release of an executive order by President Donald Trump in January, which established a task force aimed at investigating alleged anti-Christian bias in government. This comes after Trump accused the previous administration of a widespread ‘anti-Christian weaponization of government.’ The State Department has also invited staff to report suspected incidents of religious discrimination. Critics, such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation, argue that the guidance may disproportionately benefit evangelical Christians and enable workplace evangelizing, raising concerns about unequal treatment and the erosion of religious neutrality.
In 1997, the Clinton administration had affirmed that federal employees could share and discuss their religious views at work, provided they stopped if a colleague asked them to. While the current guidance expands on these protections, it also raises new concerns about workplace inclusivity and the balance between religious freedom and secular neutrality. The debate continues on how such guidelines will be implemented and the potential impact on workplace dynamics and employee relations.