Father Dermot Tredget, a Benedictine monk from Douai Abbey told the Chartered Institute of Personel and Development's Harrogate conference that a spiritually friendly workplace is a profitable workplace.

Father Tredget, a former businessman who became a monk, believes that the teachings of St Benedict offer some profound insights that can help people at work achieve a better balance between work and the rest of their life. He also believes that understanding the role that the spiritual dimension can play in life will help build better relationships at work and enable people to work more effectively.

Father Tredget said, "Are we gere to make a life or make a living? There are far too many damaged people in workplaces up and down this country. They have suffered through overwork, failing to balance work and home, failing to develop their emotional intelligence and being victims of a 24 hour work oriented culture. Understanding the spiritual will become an important part of workplace human development. It will become part of management training and have great benefits, including creating more social stability and increased profitability and productivity."