According to Alliance Defending Freedom's (ADF) survey of more than 3,000 employees, 3 in 5 American workers are increasingly hesitant to respectfully express a religious or political opinion, even when off the clock.
The Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index -- the first comprehensive benchmark designed to measure corporate respect for religious and ideological diversity in the market, workplace, and public square -- reveals that the average overall score across 50 diverse companies is 12 out of 100 on respecting religious and ideological diversity.
Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel and senior vice president of corporate engagement for ADF, says that is chilling employees' speech.
"We hear these kinds of stories pop up from time to time where employees are saying, 'I'm afraid to express my religious or political views at work because it could cost me my job or I could face consequences,'" he relays. "This survey shows that it's a widespread problem."
He says many of these companies boarded the woke train long ago and believe they are all about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
"It's certainly a worldview that says it's all about inclusion but excludes certain groups and ideas," Tedesco observes. "Lots of times, that's targeted at faithful Christians who have views about different hot-button cultural issues."
He hopes the revelation of their employees' discomfort will encourage the guilty companies to change course.
"The purpose of the poll is to try to give corporations a reason to stop going down the political path and engaging in advocacy in the public square that alienates people and customers -- their own employees, their shareholders," Tedesco tells AFN. "These businesses should care about respecting the religious convictions of all faiths, including Christians."
The attorney adds that when people go to work, they do not have to leave their faith at the door.
