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.

Indicating that the prayers are in addition to the working day, not included within it, for example as the first item on the agenda at PM questions or committees, which is a good analogy to what the OPs colleague is suggesting.

I mean, I rather they didn’t, but slotting it in before/after work in a place that people can choose to go or not is a work around.

Regardless of the reason for her belief - she could be insanely MAGA or she could be a devout Muslim- there is no call for prayer in the workplace. If they don't take it off the agenda I would personally tell the team via the meeting that you will be turning off camera and microphone for 5 mins and not partaking in the prayer.

Absolutely inappropriate.

Imagine being paid to take part in that twaddle!

I wouldn’t settle for that @Motomum23. She can invite people to join her in her prayers before or after and the prayer meeting should have no influence on things said or decisions made at the subsequent meeting. It should not under any circumstances be part of the business of the meeting in a secular company. If my job requires me to attend a meeting it should not require me to self exclude for any reason not directly related to the work.

I'm American and Jewish so this would be a huge, huge, huge no from me. That's super, super weird.

it’s important to respect differences and appreciate that a workplace benefits from diversity and acceptance.

I agree. But how is mandating Christian prayer inclusive and accepting of non-Christians on the team?

All faiths and none are accepted equally in my workplace. Our networks put on specific events around different observances, which people are free to attend or not.

We don’t have prayers on the agenda of any meeting for any religion. Thank God 😉

Wholly inappropriate.
I work for a Midwest US company, based in Pence-opolis. They have early morning prayer calls that individuals can go to, never ever in a meeting because they're also a global multicultural organisation.
I am also an atheist. One colleague/friend always says he will pray for me. He understands when I lightheartedly tell him not to waste his energy. I send him my good wishes when he is having challenges, he knows it is my equivalent and sends similar comments back.

I left a job with a U.S. company (I’m uk based) after being told that a project I had worked my bum off for, and given up countless weekends to, was successful because our senior manager had prayed and allowed ‘Jesus to take the wheel’.
Had she fuck. It was our hard graft that got that bin fire under control. Even she wasn’t dumb enough to try and get us to actually pray.

This x1000.

She can do whatever she wants on her personal time; dance around a red MAGA cap in her garden for all care. But she cannot hijack others' workplace for her superstitious and political agenda. People are convening to work, not to hear her or anyone else's personal ideology.

I don't care if it's generic and 10 seconds long. I would not allow myself to be hijacked in that matter. If she's invoking any sort of superstition or philosophy, it's inappropriate.

I'm American and I absolutely agree with this. Be warned, though, that the courts in America, including the Supreme Court, seem to be taking a fairly shameful position on what constitutes religious freedom.

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/jun/27/supreme-court-coach-prayers-joseph-kennedy

Not appropriate unless you work in a religious type place eg Catholic school, bible printers etc. since you don’t work in this kind of place it is not appropriate. I say this as a Christian.

I am a Christian and even I find this inappropriate

Is your US office in the 'bible belt'? I worked in Georgia for a while, and this sort of thing wasnt uncommon.

Let the US people do this before the UK people join the meeting. Expecting everyone to join in with (I presume) Christian prayers is completely inappropriate.

I bet this colleague would have a few words to say if a Muslim member of the team expected everyone to join in with their prayers.

Love this. Quakers had it right in some respects.

I would ask that it be changed to "meditation time" or "quiet moment" so it can everyone can easily participate no matter their faith.

I think it was Jesus himself!

Let's say for argument's sake everyone is on £25 an hour and praying takes 10 mins.
For 12 of you at one meeting a week that's costing them £2k a year on prayer time.
If all 1,000 people just in your division do it that's six figures a year lost.

I was really expecting a YABU. From the title, I thought OP would be complaining about someone else getting time to pray or praying openly at work, but no—that is unhinged. YANBU. I wouldn’t partake, and I don’t think it’s an acceptable ask or reflects well on the company’s EDI situation.

I agree it’s inappropriate, a work place should be impartial about religion, not a certain one prioritised in a professional meeting. If she is being allowed to do it, I would pop a message to say that as you are not religious will not be partaking in the prayer, so can someone message you when it’s over and you will join the call then?

I would be arriving late to that particular meeting , absolutely bonkers and totally offensive.

But prayers would probably take 30 seconds!

Even within this context, the continuing existence of Commons prayers remains controversial as Members must be in their seats for Prayers to claim them for the session. So on busy days when seats are in demand, they need to be present for them, even if they don't participate. There have been repeated attempts to remove Prayers as a standing item on the Orders of the Day; in fact, the most recent was in the news just last week. I think their days are numbered really.

MPs acting against Commons’ prayer seating privilege

It's irrelevant how long it takes. There is no reason for anyone to made to listen to a prayer in their workplace, unless they work in a religious setting.