Praying at work?

[supersop60]

My ds has a fairly new colleague who is Muslim. He takes regular prayer breaks during the day in a designated space. DS says that each break is taking at least 20 minutes, and during that time, someone has to stay in the reception/office area in case a customer turns up, and they can’t do other tasks that need doing.
The question is - are these prayer breaks too long? Is there a rule?

Yes.

Your son doesn’t know what arrangement this individual has with their employer. They may be paid for an hour less a day to reflect this.

If your son cant manage his work in him work time then that’s the conversation he needs to have with his boss. Regardless of the reason.

15-20 minutes is unusual but not unheard of depending on how quickly they can recite etc

Maybe it’s unpaid time? You ultimately don’t know. If your son is struggling to get things done because he is covering reception then he talks to his boss, not look at other people’s working arrangements that are ultimately none of his business.

it is not on the muslim employee to handle this. If his praying is having an impact, then it is up to the other employees to check with management what they want them to do, and how any uncompleted tasks be handled.

There’s a right not to be discriminated against or harassed because of religion or belief. It doesn’t extend to a right to take the piss on a daily basis and leave all the work to your colleagues.

The obligation to make reasonable adjustments applies only to the protected characteristic of disability.

Fair point, I should have said accommodation rather than adjustment

I worked for an organisation that had a defined Islamic ethos. This would have been knocked on the head v quickly by senior members of the organisation who were of the faith themselves. Obviously praying was important but certainly did not take 20 mins each time. Friday prayers were most important but accommodated in flexible lunchtimes.

Oddly, we didn't have a prayer room so sometimes you had to approach the stationery cupboard with care.

Yep. The majority of my classroom assistants (and I had many as this was a special school for children with severe learning difficulties) were Muslim. None of them took prayer breaks, and nor did we have a room for them to pray in. In twenty years of teaching in that extremely multicultural town, I never came across anyone asking for prayer time.

This is clearly something that has been arranged between the employee and manager.

The only way to address this (if it needs addressing) is to go to the manager with a problem arising from colleagues having to cover those breaks (their tasks tasks not being complete/targets not being met). But the prayer breaks should only be mentioned tangentially. If the complaint focuses on the 'unfairness' of the breaks rather than the effects on productivity of others covering them, a barrier will go up.

Sorry - but 15-20 mins PER prayer is piss take in extremis.

5 mins, tops. If that.

Even the Friday prayer does not need to be that long.

Jesus Christ.

I’ve worked with loads of observant Muslims and approximately 0 of them have skived off for “prayer breaks” during the day

I have a colleague who prays at his desk in an open plan office.

Thank you everyone. I’ll encourage ds to talk to his line manager.
This young man is a good worker in every other way, but things like the 4.30 prayer are causing issues when it comes to final checks and locking up for the day.

I think your DS should find religion and say that he needs regular prayer breaks too.

Your DS needs to stop obsessing about his colleague and focus on his work.

This is a matter for management and if they have agreed to prayer breaks it is none of your son's business whatsoever.

The late afternoon prayer is the last of the day (given that its winter now in the Northern Hemisphere).

That employee can pray that prayer at ANY time between 4.30pm and the next morning prayer (circa 6am).

He's taking the fucking piss. If that was someone I managed, I would be withdrawing such privileges AND put him on a disciplinary - hes there to fucking WORK, not pray. He can do that last prayer at home, not when its time to end the days work and lock up.

Doesnt say much about his faith if he is knowingly taking the piss. Yeh, I bet God is delighted at his two-facedness on that 🙄🤦‍♂️

And before anyone has a pop at me for being "racist" or label me with any other horseshit tropes etc, I am Muslim too. So there. 👍

Absolutely do not let your son talk to the manager about his colleagues prayer breaks!!!

If he is struggling with his own workload (eg managing to close on his own at 4.30) then he absolutely should speak to the manager about that.

Its not a "reasonable adjustment" ... that is in respect of a disability only.

I know i dont know why I said adjustment 😩 i used to be a real stickler over using accurate terminology when I was in HR too so im quite disappointed in myself 🥴