Discussing religion at work brings people closer, makes them happy

A new study has demonstrated that employees who are open about religion are happier in their job.

A new study has demonstrated that employees who are open about religion are happier in their job.

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The study conducted by Kansas State University found that employees who openly discuss their religious beliefs at work are often happier and have higher job satisfaction than those employees who do not.

Sooyeol Kim, doctoral student in psychological sciences, asserted that for many people, religion is the core of their lives and being able to express important aspects of one's life can influence work-related issues, such as job satisfaction, work performance or engagement and it can be beneficial for organizations to have a climate that is welcoming to every religion and culture.

The researchers surveyed nearly 600 working adults from a variety of industries including education and finance in the US and South Korea. The surveyed employees were all Christian, but identified with a variety of denominations, including Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist, among others.

Results showed that employees who valued religion as a core part of their lives were more likely to disclose their religion in the workplace. Employees who felt pressure to assimilate in the workplace were less likely to disclose their religious identity.

The researchers found no major differences between the US and Korean samples. They also found no major differences between industries, but Kim said that an organization's culture also might play a role in determining if employees disclose their religion.