Press Release of July 1988
LOCAL CASES HELP PROMPT EEOC "NEW AGE" POLICY
The government Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C. issued
a policy memorandum last February (1988) to its field offices providing guidelines
regarding the involvement of corporation employees in New Age seminars. The commission
ruled that those who are opposed for religious reasons to such New Age techniques as
meditation, guided visualization, bio-feedback, yoga, self-hypnosis, and inducement of
altered states of consciousness should not be forced to attend corporation sponsored
seminars and workshops at which such techniques are offered. Because they refuse to
attend, they must not be discriminated against but should be offered alternative
motivational seminars which are not offensive. The commission warns against using training
programs based upon religious beliefs, stating, "Religiously based training programs
discriminate against individuals who have no religious faith as well as those who have
differing religious beliefs."
The policy memo, in its introduction, states, "Employers are increasingly making use
of training programs designed to improve employee motivation, cooperation, or productivity
through the use of various so-called "new age" techniques." The
introduction references a
New York Times article (April 17th, 1987) entitled, "Gurus
Hired to Motivate Workers Are Raising Fears of Mind Control" which included the cases
of Jim Baumgaertel, who objected to several courses at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and
Steve Hiatt, a Tacoma car dealer, who was fired for refusing to participate in a Pacific
Institute training program.
The EEOC memo used a New York Times quote from Baumgaertel saying that, "One
employee objected that a training program he was ordered to attend using meditation and
guided visualization could change a person's view of reality and religious beliefs."
Baumgaertel said he is pleased that his case and Hiatt's have been a factor in prompting
new EEOC policy in this area, and that this is a good policy for the private sector. In
government, though, accommodation of an individual's believes are not enough. Baumgaertel
says that New Age beliefs should not be taught at all by government because of the
"Establishment Clause" of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He says
his organization, "Citizens Against A State Religion" intends to continue to
raise this issue nationwide.
Citizens Against A State Religion - 7/25/88
Confronting "Motivational" Training Programs