Staff Pray A Few Times A Day

[newbie99]

I am currently manages a few staff and there is a staff that prays multiple times a day. Each day this individual uses at least over 60 min in total.

Other staff had complaint and I am not sure how to deal with it. We are a very busy team and works 37 hours a week. But if each day 1 hour is lost then it is significant over time.

Anyone experience this type of issue. I think it is very similar issue to smokers vs non-smokers situation.

[EcclesCake]

DTC, this is not a question in Chatterbank.

[BlackadderV]

Clock out and clock back in, deducting pay. When I used to work Sundays I wasn't allowed paid time off to go to church!

[DTCwordfan]

Just get them to work the extra hour at the beginning or closing of the day. You can't prevent worship or you will fall foul of plenty of employment law.

[Captain2]

Is there anything specific or implied in their contract?

[Postdog]

Just don't pay for the time they don't work.

[DTCwordfan]

salaried or by the hour?

[New Judge]

Yes probably that they have to work 37 hours a week, not 32.

Once again this is part of the creeping appeasement of an alien culture that is being inflicted here in the UK. There is no necessity for anyone to take an hour out each day to pray. Simply tell the individual that you will be totalling his time out and he can either have his pay docked or work extra to make up the lost time.

[woofgang]

oh NJ, give it a rest, its an easy problem to deal with without burbling on about alien cultures.

[hc4361]

If this employee is Muslim there is a requirement to pray (and wash beforehand) five times a day - dawn, midday, late afternoon, dusk and at night.

Muslims can usually accommodate prayers in to the normal break times of the workplace and often only the midday prayers take place at work during the normal working day. If at all possible the lunchtime break should accommodate the noon prayers and if the shift finishes at five then the afternoon prayer can take place in his own time after work.

[newbie99]

We don't have a clocking system as the company relies on the staff to do their contract hours without abusing it.
We are all office worker and as such we are salary paid. Deducting and asking to do the additional hours could be tricky, as it is a very sensitive subject to discuss.

Also the team recently required to work off site (customers site) and this individual asked the customer if they have a room dedicated for his needs. The customer looked at me and I was stunned and I just said No as we have got no time for that. He wasn't too happy with that. So I said he may go back to the office first.

[Answerprancer]

Just tell him he has to make it up and add it on the end of his shift.

[Answerprancer]

...oops you must have posted that as I was typing.

[Answerprancer]

If he's a decent worker, I'd make special dispensation.
I worked somewhere once that operated on Sundays, we all took it in turns to work a Sunday except one fella who was a devout christian and refused to "run on the sabbath" - the company made dispensation for him and no one gave a tom tit.

[hc4361]

You need to discuss this with your employee in a firm but fair way.
Tell him that he will have to use his break allowance for prayers but find a way to make it workable for the office. For example, if he prays three times a day whilst at work, he will have to divide his total break time into three.

There is no reason why a satisfactory compromise can't be reached whereby he works his full hours and manages his prayers.

[BlackadderV]

And if a devout RC wanted to stop work for 5 minutes at 6 p.m. to say the Angelus, he/she would be out the door. One law for some...