The Trump administration rolled out new guidance on Monday that makes it clear that federal workers are allowed to invite their co-workers to church and share their religious beliefs with them.
The memo issued by Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor seeks to ensure the protection of religious liberty for federal workers. It provides examples of permitted religious expression in the workplace and specifies that such conversations must remain respectful and not be disruptive.
“Federal employees should never have to choose between their faith and their career,” Kupor said. “This guidance ensures the federal workplace is not just compliant with the law but welcoming to Americans of all faiths. Under President Trumpʼs leadership, we are restoring constitutional freedoms and making government a place where people of faith are respected, not sidelined.”
The guidance says that federal workers may “engage in conversations regarding religious topics with fellow employees, including attempting to persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views, provided that such efforts are not harassing in nature.”
An example of this kind of religious expression would include one employee trying to persuade another to convert to their faith during a break.
Federal employees are also free to direct their expressions of faith to members of the public at certain times. Examples given included “a park ranger leading a tour through a national park may join her tour group in prayer,” and “a doctor at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital may pray over his patient for her recovery.”
“An employee’s fundamental rights, as a private citizen, of personal religious expression are not limited by the venue or hearer, or merely because the employee is a government employee, and therefore may not be suppressed due to the religious nature of the expression,” the memo said. “However, when public employees make statements pursuant to their official duties, they are not speaking as citizens for First Amendment purposes, and the Constitution does not insulate their communications from employer discipline.”
The guidance also says that federal employees can display personal religious items like Bibles, artwork, jewelry, mezuzahs, and crosses at their workspace.
The Monday memo followed guidance from July 16 that allows for telework at certain times for religious reasons. The memo said that workers should be allowed to request to work remotely for purposes like the Sabbath or religious holidays, scheduled prayers, fasting, or other religious obligations.
In February, Trump signed an executive order establishing the White House Faith Office to promote religious liberty throughout his administration.