FAQs

Frequently asked questions

about Corporate Chaplaincy:

1. Why do our company need a chaplain? Look at these startling statistics…

60% of employees have trouble focusing on their job tasks because of personal
problems.
90% of absenteeism is due to personal or family problems.
87% of employees surveyed say they would work harder for a company willing
to help them with their personal problems.
65% of waking hours are spent in work environment – more time is spent
with co-workers than family. Work is where people need to be cared for!
86% employees surveyed say they believe in God, but 70% have no religious affiliation – meaning they have no spiritual support in the place they spend the majority of their time.

Your company’s productivity and continued success clearly depend on the well-being of your employee’s emotional and spiritual health. At CORPORATE CARE PARTNERS, we work with each company to develop a specific cost effective plan to meet their company’s unique needs.

2. How does a chaplain program differ from a traditional Employee Assistance Program?

There are at least three fundamental ways the chaplain Employee Care Program differs from an Employee Assistance Program:

It is personal, because chaplains regularly visit the work place interacting and building personal relationships with employees
It is proactive and can be preventive because chaplains take the initiative to meet with and be available to all employees and their families building a face to face relationship, so therefore when a crisis arises, the employee has already put a face to someone with whom they already have a relationship - not a stranger.
Many problems can be more effectively dealt with in their early stages, thereby reducing the possibility of a serious crisis, so having a chaplain can also be preventive.
Chaplains offer a broader range of services, such as personal visits to a hospital, jail, personal encouragement by phone, mail or their home, conducting funeral services, as well as provide materials or make referrals to professional when needed. Chaplains are available for all employees, immediate family members, customers and suppliers.
A chaplain generally costs less than an EAP.

3. What return can be expected on an investment in a chaplain program?

Human Resource industry statistics indicate the return on a dollar invested in employee care ranges from $5.00 - $16.00. Although it may not be possible to exactly quantify the impact of a chaplain in a company, positive results will be seen in many of these areas which are important to every company:

Improved employee attitude, morale and teamwork.
Increased loyalty and commitment to company goals.
Reduced employee conflict; Improved workplace safety.
Decreased fraud.
Decreased absenteeism.
Increased productivity.
Reduced turnover cost.

4. Should company management be involved in employees’ personal

lives?

When Company leaders become directly involved in their employees’ personal or family lives, it takes valuable time away from running their company and reaching company objectives. Company leaders do need to recognize the majority of problems their employees face stem from things outside the work place, Most Employees are not able to leave their problems at the door when they come to work, which then has a negative effect on their attitude, performance and productivity on the job. The voluntary, neutral, confidential services provided by corporate chaplains offer company leaders a way to express interest and concern for employees and give them a resource to help resolve problem issues without getting directly involved. In doing so, the individual employee gets help, their family gets help and the company’s “bottom line” gets help.

5. How much will a client company have to do to oversee and manage the chaplain program?

Corporate Care Partners will manage all aspects of the Chaplaincy program. The chaplain will communicate when necessary with a company contact person. Each quarter, Company leaders are given written reports of the time spent at each company along with all services provided to the company.

6. Don’t chaplains in the work place interfere with employees getting their job done?

The amount of time each chaplain spends at a given work site varies based on the number of employees he/she is trying to see at that location and the physical layout of the facility. The regular chaplain visit to the work place is designed to be very brief and to not interrupt employee job performance. Typical chaplain/employee conversations are only a couple of minutes. If the employee would like more time to talk to or seek help from the chaplain, other arrangements outside the workplace (such as a phone visit, a meeting at break time or lunch time, a meeting at a neutral site or employee’s home) are made. Only in times of severe crisis, and only with supervisor approval, would a chaplain spend a prolonged period of time with an employee during their work time. Frequently, during a less-than-five-minute conversation, a chaplain can offer help, hope and encouragement to a struggling employee. Of utmost importance is the fact that there is always a chaplain available to help an employee or family member

regardless of time, place or nature of need.

7. Don’t people have a pastor to help them with personal problems?

The misconception that everyone has a church or a pastor to help him or her with his or her problems is not true. Employees come to the chaplain because they feel

uncomfortable seeing a counselor or social worker. Some have no church of their own. Others may feel too embarrassed about their problems to go to their own pastors. Or it may simply be because the chaplain is there, easily accessible and willing to help.

8. Is there a legal risk bringing a faith-based program into the work place?

CORPORATE CARE PARTNERS chaplaincy program provides an Employee Care Program, based on the military chaplain model - a neutral, always available caregiver, which focuses on helping employees and families better manage basic personal life and work issues. It is not an organized religious program, and promotes no particular religious faith, provides care for every person regardless of their race or religious conviction, and therefore nothing is done that violate religious discrimination, civil rights or privacy laws. Employee PARTICIPATION IS VOLUNTARY and all personal issue conversations are CONFIDENTIAL.

9. How do chaplains help employees of all faith groups?

CORPORATE CARE PARTNERS maintains relationships with clergy of other faith groups. In the rare instance a request is made by an employee, family member, or recommended by a chaplain, someone from the employee’s or family member’s faith is called upon to meet the person’s specific need. Chaplains provide spiritual and emotional care that adds value to a company’s greatest asset - employees - every employee, regardless of their spiritual beliefs, or lack thereof.

10. Does the chaplain do anything to help company management?

CORPORATE CARE PARTNERS is available to serve company leaders as much as the rank-and-file employee. In addition to being available to help executives and managers resolve personal problems, chaplains also serve as a resource for company leaders in the areas of religion, morality, and ethics in the work place. We are always available to respond to any special request by company leaders for any type of assistance regarding spiritual care.

11. Is Corporate Care Partners affiliated with a specific denomination?

CORPORATE CARE PARTNERS is a cross-denominational faith-based organization. Our company provides an Employee Care Program, and not a religious program, we do not represent any specific denomination or local religious body.

12. If a company has a chaplain, would that not be considered as

promoting religion?

Having a chaplain in a company is not about promoting religion - any religion - in the workplace. It is about caring for the emotional and spiritual needs of a culturally and spiritually diverse population with respect, care, and compassion. Chaplains do not evangelize or preach to employees. They are there to listen to the problems and concerns of the employee, and when appropriate provide referrals and resources to the employee and their family. Many companies whose philosophies or core values may not be considered to be faith-based have chaplains serving their employees.