To have objected to ‘prayers’ at work

I would cut some slack if it was a prayer for a family or following some horrendous tragedy somewhere. I still wouldn't be massively happy about it, but people can mean well and be awkward in their delivery. As a one off, I'd let go.

Link to an ELECTION? Fuck that.

Frankly, it wouldn't matter if it was the side I support or not. Work is never the time nor the place.

Of course not. They happen every meeting though. Why make a thing of it?

All of the posters egging the OP on to address this with HR (who work for the company), it's not them who will be taking the fall, is it? Still, so much fun.

And say "I have a bad feeling about this."

Exactly. And it's a waste of the time of every person attending that meeting. If you spend just 5 minutes on prayer and there are 24 people there, that's two hours of expensive time down the tubes - to say nothing of the time wasted whilst the participants are busy resenting having to do it.

And to all the people going on about how religion is part of American culture: WRONG. There are over 350m people in this country. Not only is generalizing stupid, in this case it's also factually incorrect for any of the major business hubs (NY, LA, SF, Chicago, big cities in Texas etc) where religion never even figures. It's also factually incorrect in that evangelical-lite Christians (of whom this woman would be a variety if she thinks this is in any way appropriate) are a small minority and many, many, many other faiths are available. She's just got carried away by yesterday's display, and she - like every Trump follower today - thinks she's on top of and owns the world. She needs telling.

Also, this country is literally founded on the separation of church and state, unlike the UK which, as they keep banging on about, they fought a bloody war to overthrow!

Unbelievable. This is the kind of hypocrisy that Trump supporters revel in. It's bullshit and we need people in Europe and elsewhere to continue to remind them how fucking stupid and wrong they are. Whatever you do, don't allow it into your own lives.

Religion is a form of identity politics, so it can't be apolitical...

Tell them you’d like to add an agenda item - a 5 minute reading from the Quran to close off each meeting. See what they say 👌

It's interesting; the quarterback in the winning team of a massive football match in the US last night started his post-match interview by thanking his lord and savior Jesus Christ. Personal view, if it' s a 30 second 'may god help us make the right decisions and yadda yadda yadda' then let them get on with it, turn your camera and mic off. If they start wanting responses, then point out that because of UK law they'll need to start their meeting at xx:55 and the rest of you will join at the start time.

In that case it may be resolvable.

I’m a practising catholic and this is not on. Personal faith does not belong in the workplace and it definitely doesn’t belong on a teams meeting! Tell her jump and see if the Don catches her

People asking what harm it does, or saying just let her, are drastically missing the point.

In your opinions this may be a small thing - but it's a breach of the Equality Act 2010. It's also a breach of Fundamental British Values. So this time it's "just a prayer" - but erosion starts as "just a drop".

It doesn't matter that it's "just a prayer" - it's divisive, and inappropriate.

It also means the company could be sued - and that's not a small thing.

What if all faiths demanded to be included on the basis that it's discrimination to restrict it to Christians? If the company say no - that's discrimination, they get sued. If they say yes - no work is getting done because all meetings are now prayer meetings.

It's not "just a prayer" it's the impact of allowing one religion into a diverse secular workplace.

give it a bit of a David Essex vibe.....I'd join in!!
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiæ,
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevæ
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos
misericordes oculos ad nos converte;
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

While your U.S. manager may view the prayer as harmless, they might not fully appreciate the discomfort it could cause.

With every respect, this is nonsense. People have a right to express their religion, but they don't have that right during working hours, and they don't have the right to expect other people to join them in doing so when attending work meetings.

Hard no to that OP. Anything outside of your home and church is secular in my mind! Unless you choose for it not to be (religious schools etc). Fine to chat to colleagues about your faith and mention it in passing, absolutely not ok to invite colleagues to participate in worshiping your god during a team meeting. The simple act is divisive in that it disrespects those who don’t believe and marginalises them in that moment.

It could certainly conflict with the rights of members of other religions.

This a small team in the Midwest it’s not Goldmans NY.

OP can try but I wouldn’t be surprised if the other 5 agree they should all pray.

Ugh. No religion or politics in the workplace.

I disagree. If she wants to pray, she does it in her own time and not using company facilities. There should be no suggestion of prayer being mixed up in the meeting at all, otherwise she'll be wanting to test each decision according to whether it accords with her religious principles. Suppose, for the sake of argument, your company produced or marketed medical drugs, would she expect it to get out of every type of product that might result in a pregnancy terminating?

I live and work in the Midwest and prayer isn't part of any work event I've ever been to.
I would absolutely raise that this is very inappropriate and could cause issues under UK law.

As long as all religions are treated the same, no prayers of any kind for anyone and that means anyone.

@Iamthewintersale ask how long it will take and say you will join the call that amount of time later.

According to UK law, it is illegal to require employees to take part in acts of prayer/religious service. The Equality Act 2010 protects both your right to take part in a religion and NOT to observe one without discrimination or disadvantage in UK employment settings.

I’d email her and state that, consequent to the above, including prayer in a meeting as she has done is illegal here and that it needs to be removed from the agenda. It is not harmless.