BY: DANIEL O'BRIEN, PhD, and DAVID SMITH
Dr. O'Brien is vice president, ethics, Ascension Health, St. Louis; Mr.
Smith, formerly vice president, human resources, at Ascension, is now senior
vice president, human resource services, Covenant Healthcare System, Milwaukee.
Editor's note: This article is adapted from a position paper the authors
drafted in November 1999 for the formation of Ascension Health, St. Louis, by
the Daughters of Charity, St. Louis, and the Sisters of St. Joseph, Nazareth,
MI. Intended as a statement of the new system's philosophy, the paper has been
used primarily as an educational tool for leadership groups and for the orientation
of new leaders.
Ascension Health believes that it must have a competent work force
committed to its mission, vision, and values as part of the Catholic health
ministry. The system's human resources (HR) policies, procedures, and practices
must therefore ensure that its work force is informed, involved, and instrumental
in fostering a positive organizational climate. Our mutual compact with each
staff member is based on the following fundamental HR beliefs and principles.
- Mutual trust, commitment, and respect
- Effective and honest communication
- Diversity
- Equal opportunity and nondiscrimination
- Participatory decision making
- Sound orientation and clear work-performance expectations
- Fair and timely performance appraisals
- Fair and consistent supervisory practices and due process
- Competitive and just compensation
- A safe, healthy, and productive work environment
- Personal and professional growth and development
- A reasonable work/life balance
We, the people who constitute Ascension Health, represent an enormous reservoir
of knowledge, skill, and dedication. Realizing this, we are challenged to be
a learning organization committed to nurturing a culture that dignifies our
work and continuously improves every aspect of our work and service.
Catholic Social Teaching
We base our HR policies and procedures on seven key ethical principles of Catholic
social teaching.
Dignity of the Human Person Every human life is sacred at every stage
of its development, from conception to death. Each of us is created in the "image
and likeness of God," participates in God's continuing creative act, and is
destined for union with God. We are spiritual as well as bodily creatures, possessing
a creative intellect, will, senses, and emotions, in one integral whole. We
are also inherently social beings. Every human being, regardless of race, gender,
orientation, creed, or national origin, possesses an inalienable dignity and
must be respected as an inherently valuable member of the human community.
The Common Good The common good embraces the sum of those conditions
of social life by which individuals, families, and groups can achieve their
own genuinely human fulfillment in a relatively thorough and ready way.
Whether it is applied to an organization, smaller groups, or to society as a
whole, the common good imposes three responsibilities on those who exercise
decision-making authority. They must:
- Respect each person's fundamental and inalienable rights, including the
right to act according to a sound norm of conscience and to safeguard privacy
and rightful freedom, especially in matters of religious beliefs.
- Arbitrate, in the name of the common good, between various particular interests,
and at the same time make accessible to each interest whatever is needed to
lead a genuinely human life.
- Ensure by morally acceptable means the security of the organization, group
or society, and its individual members.
Subsidiarity In any organization, as in society as a whole, decisions
should be made at the most appropriate level. Individuals have a right to participate
in decisions that directly affect them, in accord with their individual dignity
and their responsibility to the common good. One should not withdraw decision-making
authority from the individuals or smaller groups to which it belongs and assign
it to a higher authority. However, a higher authority properly intervenes in
decisions when necessary to secure or protect the needs and rights of all. When
a decision is to be made, one should identify the most appropriate forum of
responsibility for the decision and then determine how, and to what degree,
those most affected should participate in the decision making.
Stewardship Responsible stewardship begins with the presumption that
only God has absolute dominion over creation. Human beings are called to exercise
wise stewardship over the gifts of creation, ensuring the security of future
generations and of the gift of creation itself. A just health care system promotes
equity of care and the good health of all in the community, recognizing that
many social goods compete for society's limited resources. Responsible stewardship
of resources is thus best accomplished in dialogue with people from all social
circles, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity and with respect for
the other moral principles that guide individuals and organizations.
Special Concern for the Poor and Vulnerable This principle
is generally referred to in Catholic teaching as the "preferential
option for the poor"—the "poor" including, but not limited to,
those who are economically deprived. The principle is rooted
in the biblical notion of justice, in which God calls us to
be advocates for the voiceless and the powerless (e.g., "the
widows and the orphans") and to help restore right relationships.
People who are, for whatever reason, deprived or especially
vulnerable have a special moral claim on the community
(including its institutions and organizations). As a matter
of both justice and charity, society should put in place structures
and systems that address and meet such persons' special needs
so that they may flourish more fully as human persons and participate
more fully in the common good.
Health Care Is a Social Good Health is a fundamental good necessary
for human flourishing. Like education, health care is a social good precisely
because it is necessary for both individual human flourishing and the common
good. It is a service and a ministry that should be accessible
to all, regardless of their social or economic status. Given Catholic health
care's commitment to biblical justice, human dignity, and the common good, we
must work to secure poor and vulnerable people's right to health care. Health
care should never be treated as a mere commodity or used primarily as a means
to maximize profits or provide returns to investors.
The Dignity of Work Workers must be treated as superior to their labor.
Work is a spiritual, creative activity (as well as a means of earning a living
for oneself and one's family), enabling a person to contribute to society and
to the common good. Work is also an opportunity to foster social solidarity
and thus one of the principal ways in which people participate in the continuing
act of God's creation. The workplace must be a truly human community,
and workers should have an active role in making it so. Workers must be treated
fairly, in accord with human dignity and justice. They have a right to form
community. They should have routine, structured opportunities to have a voice
in their work, and to participate in decisions that affect their working conditions,
in accord with the principle of subsidiarity.
Justice and a Fair Wage "Justice" means giving to individuals what
is due or owed them because of their human dignity and participation
in the common good. For example, we owe each other care, compassion, respect,
honesty, and fairness. Two notions of justice stand out in the church's social
teaching:
Commutative justice refers to the keeping of agreements and contracts.
Commutative justice requires one to honor contracts or agreements, except in
cases of fraud.
Distributive justice refers to what a group (or society as a whole)
owes its individual members in proportion to:
- An individual's needs, contribution, and responsibility
- The resources available (market and other financial considerations would
be apropos here)
- The group's (or society's) responsibility to the common good
These are also the basic considerations for determining a fair wage at a given
time and place. Commutative justice (e.g., agreements between parties) is never
sufficient in itself. Remuneration for work should contribute significantly
toward the worker's ability to provide a dignified livelihood for self and family
on the material, social, cultural, and spiritual levels. Everyone should be
able to draw from work the means of providing for his or her life and family,
and of serving the community. Because economic life inevitably brings with it
competing interests, employers should follow policies that respect the needs,
rights, and duties of all.
Corresponding Rights and Responsibilities People have basic rights
and responsibilities because of their human dignity. A "right" is a moral
claim a person has to whatever he or she needs for the maintenance of human
dignity. Individuals have a right to life and to the basic necessities that
enable them to flourish in a truly human way—for example, food, shelter, clothing,
education, employment, health care, and security in old age or disability. People
also have rights that flow from their responsibilities to family and the common
good. Indeed, people have the responsibility to respect everyone else's rights
and to contribute to the common good of all.
Church Teaching on Worker Associations
Catholic teaching on worker associations is best understood in the larger context
of the church's social teaching. The tradition has three major elements pertaining
to human labor.
First, the dignity of the human person and the common good are
the foundational principles in any consideration of the social good. People
have unique and inherent dignity, with rights and responsibilities within the
common good.
Second, work is one of the principal ways that people participate in the continuing
act of God's creation. The workplace should be a truly human community,
and workers should have an active role in making it so. Workers should be treated
fairly and should have sufficient opportunity to participate in decisions that
affect their lives. Catholic social teaching, recognizing that workplace relationships
are unequal, stresses the need for workers to have routine, structured opportunities
to voice their views about their work.
Third, workers have a basic right to form associations such as labor unions
to promote their vital interests and to gain an effective voice in their work.
The church identifies respect for human dignity, just and fair treatment, a
voice in the conditions of work, and the common good as proper goals for worker
associations.
But it is critical to understand that the Catholic Church does not
teach that labor unions are the only way for workers to have an effective
voice in their work. Rather, the focus of the church's teaching is that human
dignity and the common good should flourish in the workplace. For that to happen,
workers must have (along with fair wages and benefits, a safe environment, and
decent hours):
- Managers who provide information that enables employees to do their jobs
well
- Clear performance expectations and honest and timely evaluations
- Adequate methods for resolving conflicts at work and between competing
interests
- Opportunities to learn and grow, along with rewards for such progress
- Opportunities to suggest possible improvements in workplace and product
quality
- Encouragement to speak honestly, free of any kind of retaliation
Although Catholic teaching affirms the right of workers to form associations
as a way of promoting human dignity and the common good, it does not say that
joining a union is always the best mechanism for doing that. However, workers
must be free to make that determination for themselves.
In 1891, when Pope Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum, the first papal encyclical
on labor, working conditions were often unjust and dangerous. Society had not
yet enacted minimum wage laws, child labor laws, regulations governing hours
and working conditions, or laws structuring relations between workers and management.
The encyclical promoted unions as vehicles and voices for the poor and oppressed.
Working conditions and laws have since changed radically in the major industrialized
nations, leading many to take the early union victories for granted. However,
the church's teaching in this area remains relevant. People today are experiencing
enormous upheavals in their working conditions. Rising international competition
has encouraged many industries to shift to countries with lower labor costs
and minimal regulations concerning child labor and worker safety. America's
own economy, formerly industrial, is now based on services and information.
More and more jobs require computer skills, rather than manual labor, and are
accompanied by decreased job security and increased subcontracting. Just like
their forebears, contemporary workers need fair treatment, a humane work environment,
and an adequate voice in their working conditions.
Pope John Paul II has written two major encyclicals addressing
work: On Human Work and A Hundred Years. Both
remind us of the spiritual nature of work and its necessity
for human dignity and earthly progress. Reaffirming unions as
a legitimate way to defend workers' vital interests, these encyclicals
argue that the primary purpose of associations is to help unite
people and to form community. The U. S. bishops' major pastoral
letter, Economic Justice for All, reminds us of the unequal
power of employers and employees in a free market economy. The
letter enumerates a list of "minimum guarantees" that are essential
if workers are to be treated as human beings rather than a "factor
of production." Unions may be one way—though not the only way—to
work toward securing those minimum guarantees.
Finally, we must remember that the Catholic Church is a worldwide institution;
the exploitation or unfair conditions that the church tries to address in its
social teaching will vary from culture to culture and from place to place. In
addition, church teaching never speaks of workers' rights without speaking of
their corresponding responsibilities for the common good. Church teaching provides
clear principles; but situations vary, and these principles require careful
reflection and interpretation in their application.
Sources for the Church's Social Teaching
Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 1891, the first papal encyclical to address the
rights of workers as its principal subject
Pope Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 1931, issued on the 40th anniversary of Rerum
Novarum
Pope John XXIII, Mater et Magistra, 1961, issued on the 70th anniversary of
Rerum Novarum
Pope John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 1963
"Declaration on Religious Liberty," "The Church in the Modern World,"
and "The Apostolate of the Laity," in Austin Flannery, ed., Vatican Council
II: The Conciliar and Post-Conciliar Documents, Costello Publishing, Northport,
NY, 1975
Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progresso, 1967
World Synod of Bishops, Convenientes ex Universo, 1971
Pope Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens, 1971, issued on the 80th anniversary of
Rerum Novarum
Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 1981, issued on the 90th anniversary
of Rerum Novarum
Pope John Paul II, Solicitudo Rei Socialis, 1987
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Economic Justice for All: Catholic
Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy, U.S. Catholic Conference, Washington,
DC, 1986
Novarum
Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 1995
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Doubleday, New York City, 1994,
is a valuable resource for summaries of church social teaching as found in many
of the above resources. See in particular nn. 2,288, 2,401-2,463, and 2,488-2,489
Guiding Principles for Personnel Relations
Editor's note: The following Ascension Health document describes
the 14 principles on which the system's human resources departments
base their policies. Note that Ascension calls its employees
"associates."
Promoting the Significance of Work The organization promotes the spiritual,
intellectual, emotional, social, and cultural significance of work. The associate
has a responsibility to contribute to and/or participate in this effort.
Mutual Trust, Commitment and Respect The organization respects the
right and responsibility of associates to promote their own physical and spiritual
welfare, and to work in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs, without
harm to the common good. The associate assumes primary responsibility for his/her
own physical and spiritual welfare and respects the religious beliefs of others
in the workplace.
The organization values loyalty to the Mission, and has a reciprocal responsibility
to treat all employees with respect and dignity. An employee is expected to
be respectful of and loyal to the organization and the Mission.
Effective and Honest Communication The organization utilizes confidential
employee surveys or other mechanisms to evaluate job satisfaction and organizational
climate, and to facilitate effective and honest communication in order to improve
the work environment, and to provide associates with further opportunity to
shape their work environment. The associate participates in surveys and other
means of giving input regarding the organizational climate and provides honest
and candid feedback.
Promoting Diversity, Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination The organization
actively promotes diversity, equal opportunity, and non-discrimination. The
associate acts in support of these principles and assumes primary responsibility
for pursuing job opportunities and maintaining and improving his/her knowledge,
skills, and abilities.
Participative Decision-Making The organization supports associates
with sufficient, structured opportunities to participate meaningfully in decisions
that affect their working conditions. The associate takes advantage of means
of communication provided in a constructive and beneficial way.
Fair and Consistent Supervisory Practices The organization provides
for contemporary and sound personnel practices that are administered equitably,
ensuring the privacy of associates and confidentiality of personal information;
appropriate orientation and clear communication of performance expectations;
fair and timely performance appraisals and appropriate rewards and recognition;
fair supervisory practices and due processes that protect the rights of all.
The associate respects the privacy and right to confidentiality of patients,
families, and co-workers. Associates also abide by personnel policies and procedures
and do their part to stay informed regarding workplace rules, issues, and expectations.
Competitive and Just Compensation The organization strives to provide
competitive and fair total compensation (pay and benefits) that enables associates
to sufficiently provide for themselves and their families, accounting for the
individual's needs, contribution and responsibilities; considering the financial
viability of the organization; and also considering Ascension Health's commitment
to the common good. The associate provides a fair return in the quality and
quantity of work performed.
A Safe, Healthy and Productive Work Environment The organization provides
a safe, clean and attractive physical environment and other resources which
are needed for efficient and effective work. The associate exercises good stewardship
over the organization's resources, using and caring for them in the proper manner.
Personal and Professional Growth and Development The organization promotes
and facilitates the professional and personal growth and development of associates.
The associate assumes primary responsibility for his/her professional and personal
growth and takes advantage of learning opportunities offered.
Supporting a Reasonable Work/Life Balance The organization strives
to provide just working conditions where persons are treated as superior to
their labor; where they are treated honestly and respectfully; where their health
and safety are protected; and where their hours are flexible enough to permit
adequate rest, leisure time, and quality family time. The associate is responsible
for maintaining an appropriate balance between his/her work and personal life
and strives to fulfill his/her responsibilities to each.
Respecting the Right to Associate The organization respects the right
and freedom of associates to participate or not to participate in employee associations,
assuming that these associations behave responsibly and promote both human dignity
and the common good.
Honoring Commitments and Agreements The organization honors its commitments
and agreements, consistent with legal and ethical principles. The associate
honors his/her agreements and commitments to the organization and to other associates.
Educating on the Ethical and Religious Directives The organization
provides for ongoing instruction on the Ethical and Religious Directives
for all associates and medical staff. The associates and medical staffs participate
in educational programs and abide by the Directives in the workplace.
Copyright © 2002 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
For reprint permission, contact Betty Crosby or call (314) 253-3477.