35. Employees

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Read by Br. Jack Crowley

Among our many partners in ministry, the men and women who earn their living by working for the Society have a special place.  We could not fulfill the mission to which God calls us without the contribution of their many skills to complement our own.  Our concern and gratitude for them should find frequent expression in our prayers.

Our belief in the dignity of work and the honor due to all forms of labor and creativity should be revealed by the respect we show to each of our employees. The way we exercise authority as employers must reveal our belief in the equality of all as persons and citizens.  We know that for many of our employees the work they undertake for us is the chief expression of their ministry within the Body of Christ.  Their dedication often leads them to give more than duty requires.  It is important that we regularly show our appreciation and gratitude in a variety of ways.

To help in maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness and clarity, we shall use a manual of guidelines setting out all the procedures to be observed in our professional relationships with our employees.  It is an important feature of community discipline to be faithful to these rules. The brother responsible for human resources guides those who supervise individual employees.  Our commitment to the well-being of our employees includes a concern for their professional develop­ment and continuing education as well as fair compensation and time off.

The nature of our community life and ministries leads us to require our employees to be especially respectful of our privacy, and to maintain confidentiality about ourselves and our guests.  We, for our part, must demonstrate our commitment to this ethos of confidentiality and refrain from any kind of inappropriate intrusion into the personal lives of our employees.