Despite the controversy that surrounded the introduction of the legislation and the concerns of Christian groups that they would lose their Christian identity, Faithworks sees the legislation as an opportunity for Christian employers to identify and clearly articulate their Christian ethos.

For religious organisations, such as churches and Christian charities, the new law gives employers some flexibility to discriminate on the grounds of religion or belief so that they can fairly recruit and promote staff from the faith base of their organisation. The law says that this discrimination will only be allowed where the post in question has "a genuine occupational requirement” which relates to the “organisation’s ethos" for the employee to be of a particular faith.

In order to help churches and Christian employers develop employment practices that meet the requirements of the law, Faithwoks has developed the Christian Ethos Audit Pack. In addition to this practical tool, Faithworks also provides training and consultancy to help churches and Christian organisations understand the legislation and develop employment practices that accurately reflect their Christian identity, ethos and values.

If you have any queries about these tools or about how the changes to employment law affect your church or organisation, please call Faithworks Director Joy Madeiros on 0207 450 9084.