Muslim prayer breaks at work - fair or not?

[NobleLord]

Firstly, as I suspect the mods will be all over this like a rash, I have no view either way and am just genuinely interested to know what the PH community feel about this. I'm not religious, so I really have no axe to grind in any shape or form.

Now that's out the way. Do you think it's right that Muslims that choose to pray 5 times a day should be allowed to leave their desk/office/post to do so? In short, is religion a good enough reason to do this and should all employers accept this without question?

Discuss.

NL

Edited by NobleLord on Tuesday 15th September 17:35

[MynameisRob]

NobleLord said:

Do you think it's right that Muslims that choose to prey 5 times a day should be allowed to leave their desk/office/post to do so?

Don't they have some sort of hunting season?

[Shaw Tarse]

NobleLord said:

Now that's out the way. Do you think it's right that Muslims that choose to prey 5 times a day should be allowed to leave their desk/office/post to do so? In short, is religion a good enough reason to do this and should all employers accept this without question?

Discuss.

NL

No.
When in Rome etc.

[Defcon5]

Any different to someone going for a fag break every hour?

[SystemParanoia]

NO

if you want a part time worker you would have one. that would work all their hours in one go.

unless you're happy to put your business on hold 1,500 times a day just to pander to one single employee

[NobleLord]

Defcon5 said:

Any different to someone going for a fag break every hour?

I wondered how long it would be before that came up

I don't know where the law stands on this, but I suspect an employer can 'discourage' fag breaks and limit them in frequency. I don't think there's an employer in the land that would do that to a Muslim who wants to pray

NL

[Targarama]

We live in a multicultural/racial world. Unless this is a tiny business that can't survive, then yes Muslims should get the time to pray if they want it. Plus relevant Ramadan, Eid time off.

However, when it comes to Christmas, they should not get the same time off that Christians get.

Edited by Targarama on Tuesday 15th September 17:39

[Famous Graham]

Don't see why not.

Smokers have breaks.

Whether you agree with that one or not, as long as they (we..ahem ) do, you can't really knock someone else back for a similar break period.

[strudel]

Prayer breaks, like smoking breaks or nipping to the shop breaks, have to be recorded as non-working time in our flexitime system.

[toohuge]

strudel said:

Prayer breaks, like smoking breaks or nipping to the shop breaks, have to be recorded as non-working time in our flexitime system.

Seems fair.

[Shaw Tarse]

Bloody heck there's a jobs & employment sector!

[Famous Graham]

Targarama said:

However, when it comes to Christmas, they should not get the same time off that Christians get.

That's not quite as simple a solution though, given a lot of businesses simply shut down over the Christmas period.

[Bill]

Has this ever happened in this country?

It just strikes me that the sort of muslim who would insist on praying 5 times a day would probably not have integrated into UK society sufficiently to get a job in a non-muslim business. AFAIK the 5 prayers a day is only friday, which they would presumably prefer to take off anyway, and prayer doesn't have to be the full rug and facing east monty.

[nonuts]

Don't care whether it's 'fair' or not, the employer should be allowed to dictate what hours etc. when people are applying for the job and to be fair if people aren't working those hours for a religious (or another addiction) then they should be able to fire them.

Imagine if you were the owner of a small business and you needed all your staff to actually be productive between 9-5, it'd get right on your tits if either you couldn't get rid of them or couldn't tell them what their hours of work are.

[Gedon]

Keep your Sky Daddies at home please! I don't want to see it, I don't want to hear about it. Outdated idiocy has no place in a modern world.

[MynameisRob]

Smoking and prayer breaks should be taken out of lunch breaks, simple

[Shaw Tarse]

MynameisRob said:

Smoking and prayer breaks should be taken out of lunch breaks, simple

As an atheiest non smoker I agree & clock off early

[RemaL]

IL_JDM said:

Targarama said:

We live in a multicultural/racial world. Unless this is a tiny business that can't survive, then yes Muslims should get the time to pray if they want it. Plus relevant Ramadan, Eid time off.

However, when it comes to Christmas, they should not get the same time off that Christians get.

Edited by Targarama on Tuesday 15th September 17:39

+1

+2

[Shaw Tarse]

RemaL said:

IL_JDM said:

Targarama said:

We live in a multicultural/racial world. Unless this is a tiny business that can't survive, then yes Muslims should get the time to pray if they want it. Plus relevant Ramadan, Eid time off.

However, when it comes to Christmas, they should not get the same time off that Christians get.

Edited by Targarama on Tuesday 15th September 17:39

+1

+2

+2 time is what they charge for a taxi! over Christmas /New year!

[anonymous-user]

I never get a hand shandy break to - no, it's not fair!