Here are some of the most frequently asked questions from business leaders
like you about CCFC and Lynndene Way:

1. Why does 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 Chaplains
Caring for Companies, 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
weddings and 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? Chaplains Caring for Companies 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 them with their
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?
CCFC’s 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 violates 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? As a 501 (c) 3
non-profit Christian organization, CCFC maintains relationships with clergy of other
faith groups. In the rare instance a request is made by an employee or 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 which adds value to a companies greatest
asset - employees - every employee, regardless of their spiritual beliefs, or lack
thereof.

10. Does the chaplain do anything to help company management? The
company’s chaplain team, along with the leadership team and resources of CCFC,
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. CCFC is always available to
respond to any special request by company leaders for any type of assistance.

11. Is CCFC affiliated with a specific denomination? CCFC is a
cross-denominational Christian organization. Because CCFC 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 (or Christian) have chaplains serving their employees.