... to be annoyed at the Muslim who prays next to me in work?

[Beethoven]

I share a small office with two other people. A new guy has started who's a muslim, and will roll out his mat and start praying behind me. I know it doesn't hurt me, but I feel a little uncomfortable for the few minutes that he does it.

Am I being an unreasonable bigot?

True

Good sense seems to prevail. Praise be.

(Sacrifices large noisy goat in home office)

Ps worzel.. as a reasonably well travelled soul i must stand my ground on british politeness:)

Yoga is not against the law. Do you think people can roll out their yoga mats and do a little half hour between the desks?

In all honesty Cote, if there was room enough that they weren't in the way and the yoga was done during the person's break I don't see why not.

It's probably a good idea for their health considering how bad it is to spend such long times sat at a desk.

Oh come on. You are not making sense now.

Who on here thinks for a second that yoga in an office, next to someone's desk, would be tolerated?

It wouldn't be very professional...

I get the feeling that some of us here have never worked in an office.

"It wouldn't bother me" is neither here nor there. It just wouldn't be allowed, unless you happen to be working in a hippy camp.

An office is the microcosm of the professional world. Some things are ok, most others are not, in the business context,

But seeing as the person mentioned in the OP isn't being stopped from praying, it seems it is allowed (in that office at least)

And in the office I used to work in (if the boss wasn't actually racist) it would have been ok too. As would yoga.

Guess it depends if clients are coming in, or if it is just staff.

At the last place I worked - in a large open-plan office - it was perfectly normal to see someone doing their pre/post-lunchtime-run stretches, or a bit of yoga, between the desks. It disturbed nobody. OTOH the MD had a rule that hot meals and smelly foods were not to be eaten at desks. This was out of consideration to other workers, who might find the smells unpleasant.

What happens if someone feels embarrassed/uncomfortable by someone praying right by them whilst theyre working? I would.

For this reason I go express in the loo, rather than whopping it out on the desk and squeezing it. Consideration for others in a formal setting is necessary I think.

Religion, any religion, has no place in your place of business. I don't care whether you want to say the rosary or unroll your muslim prayer mat.
Go to a unused office or conference room and shut the door.

I worked in a law firm with some devout Baptist ladies and they would do their prayer circle in an unused conference room. I cannot imagine OP's new colleague just whipping his prayer mat out without first asking if anyone in his small office minded and two, if there would be somewhere else more appropriate.

Its just being considerate of your office mates, especially if you are the new one in the group.

I can't believe someone called the OP a bigot because she felt uncomfortable with this situation....

Agree.

Religion is entirely different from yoga (unless you object to the chant of om on religious grounds), chatting, warming up for running etc.

Great if you have a faith but I firmly believe the office is place of blandness where there's a dress code, rules and regs for everyone.

Religious dress great but practising religion within the working day should be negotiated and carried out in a private room.

Just re-red the op - the colleague is new and I'd say he may have negotiated this at interview and noone told you.

If anyone feels uncomfortable about a situation with a colleague, then talk to them, or, if you are too uncomfortable to talk directly to them, talk to your manager.

Everyone has the right to try to feel comfortable - but that comes through consideration and cooperation. And talking to each other enables consideration and cooperation to happen.

All this fuming at someone else's actions, feeling held to hostage by a perception of their 'rights' or yours, is so un-necessary! If a compromise can't be reached then get uptight, but not before. What a waste of emotion.

The problem is that it Is highly sensitive in this day and age and this gent wl know that, or sbould do at any rate. Instead of appreciating that sensiti ity a.d rsising tbe issue first, he is taking advantage of the situation where people are terrified of saying Nything in case they are accused of racism, religious disvrim or harassment. It's not as simple as people are making out.

Are employers happy to pay for this? Is it part of lunch hour (just as fag breaks (equally unfair to rest of office and I was a smoker). I would find it deeply distracting to work with and if I needed to pray or other, I would jolly well find somewhere private or away from others.

appletrees He's taking advantage of the situation? That's a hell of an assumption.

Two questions OP, have you spoken to this man? And have you spoken to your boss?

Because, aside from this man deliberately "taking advantage" (the most obvious reason it seems ), there is a chance that;

• he isn't aware you feel uncomfortable (due to not being told) and will be happy to find somewhere else
• he has been told it is ok

gosh. jasonthunderpants i thought better of you. you live near me don't you? we must know very different muslims. or perhpas you don't actually know any.