Despite the controversy that has surrounded the European Employment Directive, which aims to end discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, Faithworks has welcomed both the protection it will afford people of faith working in secular employment and the obligation that it places on Christian organisations to define their Christian ethos.

	“Faithworks welcomes the way in which this legislation has developed over the past year. Far from being a threat, the legislation presents every church and Christian organisation with a fantastic opportunity to clearly define their Christian identity and ethos.”

Joy Madeiros, Faithworks Development Director

Through the Faithworks ‘Keep the Faith’ campaign, Faithworks has sought to ensure that churches and Christian groups retain the right to employ Christians. While this right has been preserved within the new legislation, Christian employers will also have the responsibility of justifying that this right fulfils a requirement of the individual post and that it is in accordance with their Christian ethos.

Faithworks has responded to the legislation by developing the ‘Christian Ethos Audit Pack’ to help churches and Christian organisations develop employment practices that meet the requirements of the new law. In addition to this tool, Faithworks is also hosting several training seminars to help churches and Christian organisations understand the legislation and develop employment practices that accurately reflect their Christian identity, ethos and values. For more information on these resources, please visit www.faithworks.info/resources.

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