To have objected to ‘prayers’ at work

I would join late. Tech problems.

Join camera off and use it as a coffee break. Perhaps encourage her to really spend as much time as she needs on this very important issue ;)

When it's your turn to do the meeting, add an item to open titled "why religion is a load of shit."

If the bible bashers can have their way, you should too.

@EssexCat how much time do you think a prayer is going to waste? 😆. Maybe 30 seconds at the beginning of the meeting. I'm not sure you would have time to get too much work done in that time.

Personally then I'd just 'smile and wave.'
I've been around big companies too long to be bothered by the utter stupidity of others.

Because up till now it has not been normal practice and this loon woman has suddenly decided to introduce it?

This has reminded me of something a friend recounted. He worked across the US for years, many different states. His own business, sold to many large companies.

He never got over being invited to join managers' families to go to church on a Sunday and share lunch with the 'community' afterwards. Then, the children would be sent off to play whilst the adults watched porn. Absolutely true story.

Complete hypocrisy.

Tell your colleague and your manager a big fat NO! You won't be participating in that part of the agenda but will join in when that is over.

Even in schools, pupils don't have to attend religious services that don't align with their beliefs.

Unbelievable!

I guess you could decide to be the 'champion' who puts their head above the parapet for this. There are plenty of colleagues that would doubtless cheer you on whilst keeping themselves out of harm's way.

Um. Because they're FAITH schools and that's part of their ethos?

It is not the same situation at all.

So would you be fine if someone added an agenda point discussing the merits of satanism, or a speech on how wrong abortion is, or a debate on why they should vote Conservatives?

None of the above would be in any way appropriate. Neither is a prayer.

Because frankly it’s a waste of my time. And I’ve enough work to be doing.

Not that I’m the OP but that would be my opinion. It’s highly inappropriate.

I'm assuming the OP won't be expected to participate in the prayers so I really dont understand the issue.

Get up and leave the room when the prayers start, and make sure this loony and everyone else at the meeting can see you walk out. Pop back with a cup of coffee a few mins later and if they're still going do some yoga in the back ground.

Prayers have no place in a secular work place.

Can you not just keep silent and let them get on with it? I'm not religious and we don't pray in work but do other things that I don't agree with. Difference is that I won't try to stop other people from doing them even if I don't participate.

You're working with colleagues in the US for whom this is important. You could make a point but why? How would it serve you?

That's really different - a faith school is an explicitly religious organisation. A commitment to that is usually among the requirements for their governors. That is nothing like a random, non-religious workplace. Unless OP is about to dripfeed that she works for Christian Aid then it isn't the same.

I'm a practising Christian and would be deeply opposed to anyone doing this at work. It isn't appropriate. On a purely pragmatic level I also don't exactly see it being likely to prompt many conversions...

A faith school meeting is a very different situation to an ordinary workplace. We have prayer before our church council meetings.

I would not expect prayer before work meetings unless there was a clear rotation between all regions (with no religion also having a slot)

. Posted twice - no idea how!

Grossly inappropriate and expecting employees to participate in practices of a religion they do not share is in contravention of Fundamental British Values - because it removes your right to religious freedom including the freedom to not be religious. If your boss allows it they are opening the company up to discrimination claims under UK law.

Not a cat in hell's chance I'd be letting this go.

As a person who lives in the US for 40ish years and has worked in the US for 25ish of those 40 years at various companies this would never, ever happen at any of the places that I have worked. With one exception - a church.

I think you should advise your US manager that they're at risk of breaching UK law if they allow this.

Ask A Manager, a US based blog about work says it's legal as long as employees can genuinely opt out of religious stuff, she suggests some wording you could use for your (bonkers) co-worker or a manager https://www.askamanager.org/2012/06/when-your-boss-leads-a-workplace-dinner-in-prayer.html

Presumably that sort of shit is what you sing up for when you join a faith school.

The OP doesn't work for a faith school. Or a faith org.

Prayers should play no part in business meetings, unless all participants have been consulted prior and given the option to opt out. I’d be taking this further.

I don't think it's inappropriate - no-one is forcing you to take part in the prayers, but others can do so if they wish. I have worked with the governing bodies of many faith schools over the years, and I've never known a meeting that did not start with a prayer on the agenda, sometimes a prayer at the end. I'm an atheist but have never had any problem in sitting quietly and respecting other people while they pray.