To have objected to ‘prayers’ at work

[Iamthewintersale]

Will try to keep this brief… Work in a team of 12, 6 in U.K. and 6 in USA ( mid-west) and once a week we have a team meeting that we take turns in running.

Tomorrow is the turn of A. A is a Republican, church goer, voted Trump because she wanted, quote ‘More money in my pocket book and illegals dealt with’.
So far so MAGA. This came up pre-election as she’s the only Trump fan on the team and was open about it.

On the agenda for the meeting is ‘Prayer’ as point one. I pinged manager a note saying what?? A thinks it would be nice to start off with a prayer. As a team. I have asked for it to be OFF the agenda. US manager thinks it’s ‘harmless’ but has said will clarify.

AIBU to think it’s totally inappropriate??? I’m an atheist for a start, most of my U.K. team are the same or at least agnostic.

Seems weird that she’s never tried this before, but suddenly Trump ‘god saved me to MAGA’ is inaugurated and a team prayer is in the agenda.
We are a large global company, BTW, not some local mom & pop outfit that sells bibles…

YANBU - work is secular. She keeps her views and prayers to herself own time.

YABU - lighten up, what harm can it do.

Or it could be completely apolitical and to just pray for wisdom and to bless everyone there? One minute tops

"I'm not religious so I understand where you're coming from but you'd be better off keeping your views to yourself where religion is concerned in the workplace."

Her colleague isn't though? It's ridiculous the OP has been put in this situation.

The PA thing to do would be to go on mute and then be visibly doing something in the background during the prayer.

@Iamthewintersale I have always sat quietly in meetings where prayers are said and have never felt any pressure to join in. There have been odd occasions when I've had to bite my lip to stop laughing (as I did at my mother in law's funeral last year when the priest was praying with great gusto as he walked down the aisle) but it's not difficult to be respectful of other people's beliefs. I don't know how long people think a prayer will take, but I've never known a prayer in a meeting to take more than 30 seconds.

Would the people who are ridiculing Christians praying and their beliefs be as offensive towards other religions? I don't think anyone could be more of an atheist than me, but I was brought up to have respect for all religions.

I am not nor have I ever been disparaging about her political beliefs or her religious belief because I am a) a grown up 2) a professional 3) a product of a mixed-faith marriage which cause all sorts of nonsense in my parents families 4) it’s an US company and I have learned over the years that it’s best to keep away from politics AND religion at work regardless of how close or not a colleagues views might aligned with my own.

I only know about her Trump loving ways because the US team were chatting about it the day before the election. I made no comment at all about her views on ‘illegals’ or anything else.

Which is partly why I wish she’d returned the favour and keep her belief in fairy tales to herself.

Thanks. I was just about to type this.

Nope, absolutely not! I work for a global company with US HQ and there's no way this would fly. Although it would never happen to start with, my US colleagues are all very much left-leaning and depressed at the moment. Some may be religious given it's far more common in the US than UK, but there's no way they'd be so overt about it.

Honestly, she must be mad.

This is simply US vs U.K./European culture. Americans talk about God a lot, even at work, particularly at work. Sometimes they pray at work. If it’s a US owned company I would just put it on ignore as you will not win against the God squad.

It's inappropriate. She can start a Christian network or group if she wants to do prayer in work with others who will want to join. That's what we have in our work, as well as a Jewish network and Muslim network.

‘it's not difficult to be respectful of other people's beliefs. I don't know how long people think a prayer will take, but I've never known a prayer in a meeting to take more than 30 seconds.’

I, an atheist, have been a 4 church/temple services in the last 6 months for other people funeral eg where I sat, listened, knelt, or whatever was appropriate in respect for others.

But this is a PROFESSIONAL setting. It’s not sitting shiva. That’s the difference.

It's on the agenda. Others can vote it down if they want to.

I should add not in meetings but they might have a meeting in their own time for prayer and to mark holy days.

Are these sports chats on the agenda?

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.

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

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

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.

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?

Ugh. No religion or politics in the workplace.

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.

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

Actually - it’s a massive company. That office area alone is 1k+ people, it’s just my team there who are small.

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.

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.

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

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.