To have objected to ‘prayers’ at work

Agree. Then on the next agenda get a Wikkan spell for removing negative energy.

This isn’t really accurate. There are various links between the Church of England and Parliament but nothing that makes the Commons connected in a way that requires prayers. If anything, it exercises oversight over the Church in a number of ways; they are not accountable to it. The Lords contains the Lords Spiritual, ie a number of senior clergy, but that doesn’t render the Lords any sort of religious body as a whole, that would be regarded as non-secular.

Not sure it’s a dig against Americans tbh, more likely the OP is anti-Trump, so is introducing an irrelevant piece of information about her Trump supporting colleague to point out that not only is the lady wanting prayers said, but also she’s a Trump supporter to boot. Prayers aren’t exclusive to Americans. Quite often here in school assemblies, and before formal meals etc, we also will pray, so definitely not something to bash Americans over. I love America btw.

If it goes ahead you could put a 5 minute talk on benefits of DEI or similar on agenda next time!

I have worked in a church as administrator and we had a prayer at the start and end of every meeting but it was expected. When I started in Girl Guiding in 1970s we opened District meetings with a prayer but over the years it became more of a Thought for the Day. I do remember leading a meeting the day after a major disaster (the kind that makes you go home, hug your kids and be thankful they were not in a certain place at a certain time). I opened the meeting by saying 'I know people have a lot to discuss today, I know there differing opinions but let's keep a sense of proportion after yesterday? It was the most civilised meeting I ever attended.

But unless it’s linked in the prayer itself, ie ‘thank you Lord for giving us President Trump’, whether she aligns her religious beliefs to her political leaning is totally irrelevant. In her head she might closely link it, but I would imagine politics isn’t going to be brought into her prayers.

A regular meeting? Completely inappropriate unless you work where I do, it's a church consequently it's fine

It is also acceptable to have a short prayer at larger gatherings eg I've experienced them at conferences (not religious conferences) and also things like formal meals starting with grace isn't that unusual eg military functions

MAGA... Make America great again

Agree with your sentiments. If I was a non believer I'd sit quietly,wait it out & move on.

Who’s MAGA?

WRT the prayer, I would definitely 🙄 🙄 as I don’t believe in all that. However, I don’t have a problem with believers and would happily wait quietly whilst they prayed. If they’re happy to respect that I don’t believe, then I’m happy to respect the fact that they do believe.

If this does get approved is it possible to set the prayer time a few minutes before the official meeting time, so that people can join in or not?

Or, can you just mute yourself and not switch your camera on until the actual meeting starts?

I'm American and work for a US company. This is insanely inappropriate and not at all a common/accepted business practice in America

It's also not legal in the US.

But it's a good story and there's nothing MN likes better than a good froth about those awful, awful Americans.

I believe it was last night that a thread was started claiming that an American school was forcing teen boys and girls to shower together at school.

"There's a sucker born every minute" - P.T. Barnum

It will be

"lets pray for our brothers and sisters displaced by the LA wildfires"
"and let us be thankful for blah di blah blah"

I’m a prayerful Christian and that woman sounds insane. Totally inappropriate.

My Christian Grandparents prayed before every evening meal. My parents were regular church attenders & as far as I am aware my father prayed privately in his bedroom before bed. Although it's not something I do before meals etc I find saying a prayer when I am stressed or worried relaxes me & I feel better afterwards.

To be fair it wouldn't bother me if this was suggested although I would never expect athiest work colleagues to agree and personally would never suggest it in a work situation regardless of them having faith or no faith.

Yes, I know. I didn't say business places should have prayers - it's entirely inappropriate.

That's going to play right into Musk’s narrative about Britain isn't it? Not that I think that's a bad thing at all! 🙄

I would not be happy at all if this happened at work.

It very inappropriate but I think this may be norm for certain parts of America - They take religion seriously.

Hmm according to the last census, 37.2% of people in the UK are either atheist or agnostic.

I'm American and work for a US company. This is insanely inappropriate and not at all a common/accepted business practice in America! I would be so uncomfortable with this; A is totally in the wrong.

That’s because we have an established church and parliament is constitutionally linked to it. Secular business places are an entirely different kettle of fish.

I can't imagine that being on an agenda at work. How long a prayer is it?

I would be tempted to question what was the meeting about a prayer was needed- is it about payrises?:)

I would call in after the prayers. It's a slippery slope.

You know every day in the House of Commons starts with time for prayer? MPs who attend can reserve their seat for the whole day, so on days when parliament is busy, non-religous MPs are literally left standing (there are more MPs than seats) and won't be called on to speak. Utterly ridiculous in this day and age, in a majority non-religous country that this still happens at the highest level of power. The grip that religion still has in secular places of work never ceases to baffle me.

When it's your turn, add a Wicca prayer into the agenda.

Sometimes it doesn't really matter if the OP is completely truthful (or just posting a completely hypothetical 'problem'), it's still important to share opinions because situations similar to the OP's story do happen. In this case there is apparently a need to explain to some people why organised prayer has no place in a work environment.