Shall We Permit Namas (prayer) During Office Hours?

Dear Peers,

Please suggest whether we can allow employees to do namaz (prayer) during office hours. In our branch, a few employees are doing this on a daily basis, for which they take nearly half an hour each time. I have also noted that they utilize the office working hours well, to the extent that they don't even use their lunch break.

I want to know whether this is permissible or not, and if not, how we can address this without hurting their religious feelings.

Regards,
Vanitha

What is your organization? Is it owner-based or limited? Either of the above, what is your boss's take on the same? I think if it is allowed, then other community/religion employees will ask for time off. What is your experience so far?

Dearest Vanitha,

A very simple answer to your question is that you cannot stop someone from doing his/her religious prayers as it is a question of religious feelings and sentiments of the employees working. I was facing this problem in my company too. The only solution to this is to fix up the time and the duration for which they can offer prayers. After all, it's a question of someone's religious sentiments which we do not have the right to hurt. Alternatively, you can designate a place for them in your company itself where all of them can offer their prayers for a specific time and duration.

For any further queries, you can always stay in touch.

Thanks and Regards,

Ravibhushan Pandav
Human Resources Officer
9970967623

Dear Prashant,

Ours is a private limited company. Our boss definitely will not encourage all this; he treats everyone equally. This is being done without his knowledge. So far, there is no complaint from other employees, but I feel this issue will escalate when there is a heavy work schedule. Please suggest how this can be dealt with.

Regards,
Vanitha

Dear Ms. Vanitha,

Kindly revert to queries raised by Mr. Prashant. With reference to your queries, there are people who pray regularly, and there are also people who pray occasionally. Those who offer their prayers regularly will not take more than 20 minutes at the max, even if they have to travel to the nearby mosque. Sometimes, you may also find people praying just to kill time or to escape from their responsibilities, which is unethical and considered as cheating in Islam.

Kindly have open discussions with those employees while trying your best to make them understand the purpose of employing them and the value of the salary they are receiving. Please educate them in the most professional way. They should deliver their work on a top priority basis, and at the same time, they are allowed/permitted to offer their prayers based on the facilities available without taking much time.

Please understand your employees' psychology/mentality.

With profound regards,

Dear Vanitha,

Please call those employees and ask them to avoid prayers (Namaz) during office hours. If possible, inquire about potential solutions to prevent this issue.

After negotiating with them, kindly confirm so that I can provide you with further guidance.

Thank you.

Hi Vanitha,

With reference to your query, you may first discuss with your senior or top management (Owners or Management) and then draft a clear policy regarding taking breaks during office hours, considering Labor Law points, religious freedom, and work schedules.

I understand that offering Namaz (Prayers) takes a little while, but 30 minutes is a fairly long time. It depends on the person; however, 10 - 15 minutes are enough to complete prayers. Also, employees shall be prompt in completing the prayers.

Schedule the breaks timings aligned with prayer times.

I am also of the opinion that if productivity is not hampered and targets are met, then employees may be allowed to manage their work and activities as they are comfortable.

Research or survey on all types of breaks taken by employees - coffee breaks, prayer breaks, lunch breaks, smoke breaks, etc., and schedule them accordingly.

Ensure clear work allotment to employees so that their time during office hours is fully utilized.

Hope this is helpful.

Best Wishes

Dear Mr. Shaik,

Thank you for your suggestions. In regards to prayers, they are taking at least half an hour, which I have personally observed. In particular, there is a female employee whom I often see either chatting with colleagues or performing namaz, or simply standing on the terrace. She does not appear to show much interest in her work.

As per your suggestion, I will have a discussion with them as soon as possible.

Regards,
Vanitha

Dear Mr. Hussain,

As per our company's HR policies, we don't have any specific rule for this. Moreover, I'm willing to sort out the issue within ourselves. I have noted your suggestions.

Regards,
Vanitha

Firstly, there has to be a clear-cut policy before implementing any options, which has to be in line with the labor laws of the country while keeping in mind that the operation runs smoothly.

According to me, the best way to solve this is to designate a place for employees within the company itself where all of them can offer their prayers for a specific time and duration, which can be scheduled within the break timings.

Regards, Sandeep Pathania

Dear Ms. Vanitha,

I would like to understand your role in your organization. I am glad you are willing to sort out your issues within yourselves.

1) I am not able to understand how an employee can remain idle - either he/she has no work to do or I am sure NO ONE is MONITORING EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY/OUTPUT at your workplace. Find out to what extent FRONT LINE SUPERVISORS are delivering their roles effectively.

2) Try to understand why your employees are behaving in this manner. Is your organization trying its best to motivate your employees for smooth operations leading to better productivity or meeting targets?

3) Try to be soft and handle issues with a PROFESSIONAL APPROACH. Try your best to educate them about their RESPONSIBILITIES and the PROCEDURES APPLICABLE AT THE WORKPLACE WHICH THEY ARE BOUND TO FOLLOW.

With profound regards

Dearest Vanitha,

10 minutes is the time that we have fixed up in our organization. You can fix up a time of 10 minutes in your company with a place designated to them for their holy prayers. Trust me, we have implemented it and we were really successful in what we did with the permission of the Vice President - Human Resources. And when it comes to the religion and beliefs of a community of certain people working in the organization, there is no boss who says no. Do not go into much technicalities as people are asking you your role and stuff, which I think is not at all important. It's not a big deal, believe me, and does not need hi-fi HR fundas which many of them are asking you here, which do not play any role in solving out such a simple problem. Go and try it, and I will bet that you will succeed with employees being more than happy as they do not have to go out at all, and everything is inside the company itself.

For any further queries, please be in touch.

Thanks and Regards,
Ravibhushan Pandav,
Human Resources Officer
9970967623

Dear Vanitha,

I have read the exchanges with interest. Kindly ensure that in a secular state, all individuals are treated fairly. What will you do if a person who follows a different path requests prayer time and a prayer room?

Therefore, consider involving higher management to establish a policy. Khadir has raised a valid point, as always; thus, please take into account the issues he has raised. Additionally, Ravibhushan Pandav has provided you with ideas that have proven successful for him. Taking any action without management involvement in such matters could potentially lead to more problems in the future. You might only be "tackling the symptoms of a disease and not curing it," as the saying goes.

Have a nice day.

Simhan

Dear Vanitha,

Please put up a notice on the notice board in Hindi as well as English regarding when the rule will be effective and the consequences if it is not followed. The organization is being liberal, and it expects employees to adhere to the communicated guidelines. Please ensure all the mentioned points are included in the notice. Success will follow if you follow these instructions.

For any further queries, please stay in touch.

Thanks and Regards,

Ravibhushan Pandav
Human Resources Officer
9970967623

Dear Mr. Shaik,

My designation is assistant manager, but I have restrictions and interruptions by our manager. I am likely to take charge from 1st of June as Branch Manager. Hence, I have just started observing the irregularities in order to resolve and ensure that everything is in place.

For the current position, we have enough manpower, and that may also be the reason for this. Come what may, is it good to spend most of the time out of the seat? The problem is not with the organization but with the people who handle it. Here, some people are treated specially while others are not, and because of that, they don't seem to bother about anything.

Regards,
Vanitha

Vanitha,

In my experience, breaks for prayers are not prevalent in most organizations in India but are common in Gulf/Islamic countries. It is not advisable to grant privileges to a particular community that may create discontentment among other employees. What would happen if a pilot or train driver goes out for prayers while performing their duties? Customs and practices should be flexible in the current context.

Pon

Dear Vanitha,

It's like stabbing in the dark when people are asked to give advice without enough background information about the situation. When you say you will be taking charge as Branch Manager, I would like to know how many branches does your organization have? What do you mean by "I have restrictions & interruptions by our manager."? What happens to the manager when you take up your new role?

Have a nice day.

Simhan

There is no law to permit religious prayer during working hours. If you permit one community to pray, then others will request different religious practices such as Maha Arati or going to prayer in Agyari. It is better not to entertain any requests related to religion. Our focus should be on uniting all members as a family of the organization working under one roof, where the only religion is progress and development of the organization.

P.S. S

Dear All,

In India, though we are a secular country, there are no formal guidelines in any organization to permit religious prayers for any sect, be it Hindus, Muslims, Christians, or any other sect. It is not healthy for any organization to encourage such practices. Even if it was permitted by default earlier, it should now be discontinued to avoid future complications. You know, there are separate places of worship for everyone, and prayers should be performed there regardless of the time it requires.

Of course, in India, at least 90% of organizations only perform Ayudha pooja, which is specific to that festival and is a closed/paid/official holiday declared by the Government. Please note that this festival happens once a year and is not a daily prayer; it is a festival that applies commonly to all sects, whether they like it or not.

Non-Muslims' prayers are simple and do not require much time, with no compulsory timing. In contrast, Muslims require more time and follow specific procedures at particular timings. I don't think any firm officially permits such practices, although some Muslim-run firms may allow it sporadically, especially as most of their businesses are closely held. In Gulf countries, prayers are strictly permitted, and Fridays are declared holidays. However, we are discussing India here, and it is not advisable.

Kumar
Bg.

Dear PSS,

I hope you don't belong to this world. We are living in the 21st century where many organizations are promoting an open work culture. Every individual has their own religion to follow. Problems due to religion are more prevalent in India than in any other country in the world, and this is because of a lack of understanding between human beings and our stubbornness/rigid nature in not accepting certain facts.

Kindly try to understand that religion is personal, and there are loyal, sincere, honest, dedicated, hardworking professionals and employees at all levels in India and across the world who are performing their prayers on time without disturbing work culture. Many organizations (MNCs, medium/small-sized) in India and across the globe have permitted Muslims to perform their obligatory prayers while giving preference to the organization's objectives/goals to be achieved or met.

For your information, the percentage of Muslims who perform their prayers is less. There are countless employees in India itself who are doing their best while performing their prayers on time.

Kindly remember, it's employees' betraying attitudes that create hurdles in organizations. Every problem has a solution, and it is the responsibility of top management to address every issue and provide an open solution that can help employees feel proud as part of their organization.

No wonder, every organization's goal is to progress aggressively, but organizations cannot be selfish. It's employees that form an organization, and you have to take care of your employees. When you address all employees working under one roof as "a family," then understand how to make your family members produce the best results in favor of their organization while providing them facilities at the workplace to perform their short prayers termed as obligatory, but not to misuse the same.

As I wrote earlier, one has to understand employees' psychology/mentality. At the workplace, promote broad-mindedness, optimism, enhance maturity levels, and much more rather than creating issues in the name of religion. I am sure you'll definitely find different kinds of employees.

If I had the opportunity to solve issues in any organization across the globe, let it be anything or any issue, I am ready to travel the extra mile to get things sorted without making the organization incur any kind of loss. - Terms & conditions are applicable.

With profound regards

As Khadir says, Islamic prayers should not take long. If people misuse the facility, it can lead to a lot of problems. For example, see the debate at [How does Muslim prayer work in the office environment? Do they get paid during that time? - Yahoo! Answers](http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110121202001AAyV86L)

Dear Respected Members,

Here in the Gulf, it depends on the type of organization.

1. Private Sector: Offers a one to two-hour lunch break during the Afternoon Prayer Call. Employees get to go for lunch and pray without using company time. The private sector provides designated washrooms with adjacent prayer rooms for males and females. This sector usually operates from either 7.30 am to 4 pm or 8 am to 5 pm. Depending on the length of your lunch break, work hours can be extended up to 6.

2. Government Sector: They do not offer a lunch break as they operate from 7.30 am to 2.30 pm. Employees can either take a 10-minute break to go for prayer and return to the office or can join a group that prays immediately after the call for 15 minutes in the mosque. All government organizations have designated prayer areas for both men and women, or you can choose to pray in your office.

I think this thread is leading somewhere.

Comparing Gulf countries with India does not hold water because they belong to a particular religion where their religious practices override the modern systems. Had it not been for the oil economy, they would have adopted the systems that are being followed universally. As far as I know, such practices (giving a break for prayer, irrespective of the religions involved) are not followed and encouraged by any decent organization.

Pon

Hi Vanita,

Agreed to what Hussain has mentioned, you actually need to speak to your management and draft a policy on offering Namaz (Prayer) which shouldn't take more than 10 to 15 minutes. One has to hasten his prayers if time is short or not permissible; however, taking advantage out of the same and unnecessarily prolonging is totally not acceptable.

As to the question of whether or not time should be given for prayer, it totally depends on the ethics of an organization.

Regards,

Noorul Haque
KSA.

Dear Vanitha,

In my previous company, as there were only a few employees who used to pray, we had given them a 1-hour break for Friday prayers only in the mosque, and that was during lunch hours. This arrangement was for staff employees who had a day off on Sunday. For those who were on shifts, we managed to prepare a shift schedule so that they could have the day off on Friday.

In your case, you will have to check the number of employees and whether they need to pray daily or only on Friday.

Regards,
Monika

Dear Readers,

The views and opinions shared by certain respected members here are deviating from the main concern. The company in question here is India-based and cannot be entirely compared with companies in the Gulf or other countries.

Taking prayer break, be it in any religion, is not a crime or indecency, so please stop blowing it out of proportion. There are employees who take gala breaks in the name of a smoke break, coffee break, lunch break, etc. The sincerity and dedication of employees to work come from within, which was conveyed by Mr. Shaikh. Get to know the employee mentality; employees who are hardworking, motivated, and dedicated will eventually perform and contribute towards the organization.

If certain employees (bad apples) are misusing prayer break as an excuse to shy away from work or they are unproductive, they will remain so even if prayer breaks are banned; they will find some other reasons.

Islamic prayers (Namaz) don't take hours or special preparation to offer. It's a simple 10-minute task, which any devoted person can pray and get back to work judiciously. A small clean corner is enough for one person to offer prayers.

During 9 - 6 shifts, prayer times occur 2 - 3 times, which I feel is acceptable if employees manage to complete this break within as short a time as possible. Even other employees take breaks, chit-chatting near coffee machines, sharing grapevine at smoke breaks, or big fat pot lunch breaks. Anyone wanna discuss that as unproductive breaks taken by employees?

Allowing religious freedom is a fundamental right provided by the Constitution of India, including for those who are employed; after all, they are located on Indian soil.

There are devotees who like to thank god in their own special way, which is not wrong be it person...

Lighting an Agarbatti and doing a small Pooja at the beginning of the shift. Offering Namaz, giving 10 minutes to pray is no big deal, or a dent in productivity as people here are claiming it causes company losses.

The actual problem is employees taking prolonged breaks and misusing freedom from management be it prayer breaks, coffee breaks, lunch breaks, or smoke breaks.

Thanks for reading.

Best Wishes

Hi Vanita,

Having gone through the discussion, it seems that many have different opinions on the issue.

In my view, the following points should be considered while dealing with such situations or formulating any policy on such matters, irrespective of your position or management view:

1. The contract of employment generally does not give such permissions to any category of employees; hence, it can be denied.

2. In any decent organization, the goals of employees are aligned with corporate objectives. Therefore, I believe that such special permissions should be avoided if they are not in the interest of the organization.

3. Offering prayer at the workplace should not be treated as a right by employees, even if some organizations permit them to do so.

4. Model standing orders of any state in India also do not contain any such liberty for any category of employees.

5. Developing a culture to support any specific community should be avoided as it can have detrimental effects on others and ultimately on the organization.

6. As far as I know, your organization must be a business organization and not an NGO promoting such things.

7. Business jurisprudence also does not allow such things.

8. Freedom should not be interpreted as unlimited freedom.

In a nutshell, I don't think it is viable to permit such things for longer and larger public and business interests.

Please do share your/company's final decision on it.

Best Wishes,

Manoj Thakur

Hi Readers,

I agree with certain points put forward by seniors here in dealing with the issues. However, when management grants a certain amount of breaks to employees, it's up to employees how to use them. If an employee is using the break time to offer prayers, this cannot be considered against office culture. However, I agree that no special break or consideration may be given to offer prayers. Employees can accommodate their personal practices during approved breaks.

Regarding the rights and privileges granted by companies, it's put forward in a very harsh manner here. Employees are not slaves or servants who can't do this and can't do that, be it from any religion.

Organizations should be secular and neutral in all aspects of operation. At the same time, restricting personal freedom will lower employees' morale. I say again, I'm talking about those who are dedicated to work and not those who take religious excuses to run away from work.

Some posts mention that, "Any decent organization will not allow these prayer breaks." If an organization allows its employees to use breaks to offer prayers, what is so indecent about that? I'm wondering, why call it a prayer break? Let management allow breaks to be taken as per the work schedules and requirements and leave it to the employees to decide how they want to use the breaks.

Some rules can apply, such as: not leaving the office premises, encouraging to finish breaks within the allowed time, no nuisance to other employees, and KRAs should be taken care of.

Any employees who are misusing breaks should be disciplined, be it for prayers, coffee, smoke, or lunch. And yes, all the secularity, social fabric, business jurisprudence, office decency, and business ethics can be taken care of.

Suggestions from the readers imply that employees are working 9-6 straight, without taking any breaks or idle time. Is it only Muslims who are wasting time at the office?

Thanks for reading.

Madam,

In some organizations, I have seen Muslim employees performing namaz. If your team is efficient in their regular duties and can manage with less time for lunch, accommodating their religious practice should not cause any harm to you. Please allow them 1/2 hour, which is reasonable and adequate as namaz requires more time. For Hindus, 15 minutes is sufficient. They will compensate for this 1/2 hour themselves by adjusting their time elsewhere.

Dedicated and conscientious employees will always fulfill their work responsibilities. If there are any individuals not adhering to this, appropriate action can be taken.

Regards, M N SARMA

Dear Vanitha
It’s a religious issue I propose you not to stop them, it will bring you more what you feel losing, God bless you on it, only the difference in I slam from other religion is they pray five times a day to thanks God for their health, food, job etc…… God will shower his blessing on you by not stopping them.
Best regards
Iftakhar

As Hussain Zulfikar has opined, many workers waste time in smoke breaks, etc. However, organizations should not discriminate or legislate based on religious belief in a SECULAR state. Thus, your contention that 30 mins is reasonable for Muslims and 15 mins for Hindus (How many minutes for Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists, etc?) is untenable.

As Zulfikar and Khadir say, work comes first and as long as work is not hampered, some arrangement can be made to cater to employee needs. Prayer is also supposed to calm the mind and may lead to personal satisfaction.

Have a nice day.

Simhan

Dear All,

I am really shocked after coming to know about the mentality, pessimistic nature, perception, and interpretation level of various members who have posted their views.

I have been employed in Qatar since September 2010. When I compare myself to India, I feel like I am living in the best part of the world because it is a peaceful and crime-free country where various religions and nationalities are working together for a common goal. I admire the mentality of the locals and all the expatriates working here because no one loves to interfere in others' matters - personal, professional, or religious. Still, everyone wishes to maintain a decent relationship, whatever it may be.

Whether an organization permits one to pray or not, I am sure that the one who wants to offer prayers on time will prioritize prayers while giving top priority to roles, responsibilities, and the job because such employees do not like to earn for doing nothing (known as haram) nor do they believe in cheating themselves or others just to earn their bread and butter illegally.

- Think out of the box, think big, understand the ground reality.
- Study your employees' mentality.
- Learn how we can make our employees deliver their best in favor of the organization.
- Differentiate between employees of type/nature - selfish, pessimistic, non-productive, immature, and non-selfish, optimistic, productive, matured.
- Educate your employees on procrastination and effective utilization of their time productively.
- Develop and promote an open work culture, implement the best professional ethics and practices.
- Don't blame the organization, religion, or the almighty for any unfortunate event, but understand to what extent we as human beings are responsible for it.
- Don't run the business in the name of religion but do feel proud to take unselfish support of religion to help your business grow by thanking the almighty.

With profound regards,

Dear All,

Without taking any side, let me provide a brief explanation of Namaz during office hours. In a 9:00 to 6:00 schedule, Namaz will occur twice:

1. During the afternoon lunchtime (Zohar's Namaz time, usually from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM), employees can adjust their lunch break to include Namaz within the official allotted time. Namaz should not take more than 20 minutes.

2. During the evening snacks break (Asr's Namaz time, usually from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM), Namaz will take around 10 to 12 minutes and can be adjusted with the official refreshing break.

According to Mr. Quadir and Mr. Zulfikar, if someone is wasting time or trying to avoid their responsibilities by using Namaz as an excuse, it is considered unethical and akin to cheating in Islam.

Additionally, satisfied personnel tend to be more productive.

Regards,
Hassan Ashraf

Dear Ms. Vanitha,

If you look at the timings for the prayer fall due during the daytime, you can handle the issue in a better manner. Out of 5, mainly 2 prayers (2nd & 3rd) fall during the daytime. The 1st & 5th prayers are out of office hours. So we consider 2nd, 3rd (& 4th) mainly.

2nd prayer: In India, the 2nd prayer is mostly between 1 to 1.30 pm (depending on Seasons & regional time zones). This prayer takes a little more time than the 3rd & 4th prayer, say it takes around 20 min. In some cases, this time happens to be a lunch break. So this can be easily handled if your lunch break is around this prayer time.

3rd prayer: This is the shortest prayer. It hardly takes 10 minutes. This is mostly around 5 p.m.

4th prayer: This is generally around 6 or 6.30 pm. It takes 10-15 minutes.

If your office is closing before this prayer, then this is out of the question.

It seems some people take longer than the required time, this is due to the following reasons in some cases.

One important point in offering prayer is that the person should be free of natural calls and must be in a state of ablution (cleanliness) which takes him/her towards restrooms which also involved some extra time. Due to this, prayer time seems to be long (this same activity is being practiced by both Muslims & non-Muslims staff during office hours which hardly matters and no one can avoid natural calls).

So here both the Management and the employees need to cooperate with each other for a common understanding. MANAGEMENT should also consider that there are many kinds of breaks employees need/misuse or they just sit idle on their seats doing nothing (already mentioned by other members). But prayer is an obligation of that particular faith. So while treating 'prayers' as a burning issue, it should also consider many other uncalled-for 'breaks'. EMPLOYEES must also demonstrate sincerity and a sense of responsibility & should not take more than the required time; otherwise, their prayers may not be valid. To be really sincere, they can compensate this time by sparing some extra productive time for the Company.

The challenge of HR is to bring together Management & Employees by solving such issues. Hope you will face the challenge successfully by balancing both sides.

Elearner

Dear Vanitha,

As a HR professional, we must strive to find a win-win solution for this situation. Certainly, taking long breaks wouldn't be necessary. In my opinion, having a clear policy on breaks after a discussion with your top management and calling for a meeting to brainstorm with the group of employees can help you decide upon the future course of action without demotivating the employees.

Regards,

Mujeeb Uddin

Dear Mr. Pandav,

Your comment is not supported by any law, rules, or regulation. An industry is a corporate structure that runs by rules and regulations. If you are right, then why hasn't any government provided such a facility? An employee enters into an agreement of mutual acceptance when joining any employer. Such an agreement does not allow spending working hours on any religious activity. Moreover, employees are offering their lunch timings for this, which can affect the health of the employee and consequently the output as well. Hence, my suggestion is not to allow such activity on the company premises during working hours.

Mangesh Wakodkar
Sr. Executive

Dear Ms. Vanitha,

Being the religious duty to perform prayers on time is compulsory as a true Muslim, which can be performed at his workplace also. But a true Muslim cannot misuse his/her work time to extend the prayer time for half an hour. Indeed, the company can have rules in place and the prayer time to be excluded from the total work hours. So the employee has to work for 8 hours a day with a one-hour lunch break (The lunch break can be divided to 45 minutes for lunch including noon (Dhuhr) prayers, 15 mins for Afternoon (Asr) prayers). If he/she is working in other shifts, then you can plan it accordingly. Or the employee should work for the extra minutes consumed for prayers apart from his normal breaks. The employee performs his duty for the fixed working hours as stipulated and agreed upon in the contract for the said salary. Logically, he has to complete 48 hours of work to make his salary halal, failing which the salary drawn for the period he/she has not worked becomes haram on him/her.

As we are working in Saudi Arabia, we have rules that clearly state 8 hours of duty excluding breaks and prayer time. So we take 45 minutes for lunch including noon prayers and 15 minutes for afternoon prayers (so 1-hour lunch break is adjusted).

I hope you can introduce this way, and I am sure it should not hurt one's religious feelings as far as it explains what is halal and what is haram.

Dear Ms. Vanitha,

In addition to my comments, please note that if you are talking about Friday noon prayers, it should be different. Here, we usually have a holiday on Fridays, and employees on duty go for Friday prayers, including their lunch break with a little extended time for their cafeteria meals.

Dear Vanitha,

As already opined by almost everyone, it is a religious obligation, and it is unwise to stop employees from fulfilling it. However, I do assure you that the matter can be sorted out through a healthy discussion with them. The prayers have to be offered within a stretch of time, which makes it flexible. The employees can be asked for their consent to offer namaz within a specified duration of the day. Also, if they are provided ample space and time for this, they will be more at ease and willing to cooperate.

Employees taking breaks for namaz and idling away their time should be criticized. You can probably ask them to be accurate with their timings and also with the work targets allotted to them. As Khadir already pointed out, misappropriating time is itself prohibited in Islam.

I am sure you will be able to sort out the matter soon.

Regards,
Arham Husain

Dear Vanita,

First of all, offering Namaz is a religious duty. A Muslim has to do it five times a day. It is allowed during office hours in Islamic countries. India is a secular country; therefore, the Namaz timings are fixed so as not to disturb the official timings (except for Friday Prayer). Most offices in India start at 9:30 or 10 AM and end at 5 PM, with a lunch break from 1 to 2 PM. The Noon Prayer (Dhuhr) is organized between 1 to 2 at all mosques. Following that, the Post Noon Prayer (Asr) is organized between 5 to 5:30 PM, allowing true Muslims to fulfill their duty and perform Namaz without disrupting their official work hours.

If you have sold something, you have no right to use it again. Please convey this message to your employees that since they have sold their time to the company, they must use it for the company's benefit. Just as they want to perform Namaz as a duty, they must also fulfill their job responsibilities as part of their duty. This is what Islam teaches.

Regarding Friday Prayer, there may be some extra time required, but if one is a devout Muslim, they should be willing to work extra hours for Friday prayers. Offering prayers during office hours is not fair to the company; their time is meant for company tasks, not personal activities.

Hello,

This is a very sensitive subject that requires adult attention. An office or workplace should be a religion-neutral place; if it is anything else, that organization will come to grief sooner or later. Religious prayers are very personal and private matters and should not be flaunted. Every workplace must remain religion-neutral and should not allow any actions that spark debate or draw attention from other members in that workplace.

Thank you.

Some religious practices are mandatory and should be allowed, as they impact the company's reputation. Saying that a company compares an apple to an orange can have significant consequences. I hope this concept is clear, ma'am.

Dear Vanitha and others,

First: Organizations should respect the religious beliefs and sentiments of their employees.

Second: Muslims are required to offer Namaz on time and in a group, either in a masjid or can be performed in a group (2 can also form a group and is permissible in Islam).

Third: Before offering Namaz, one should perform ablution, which takes no less than 3-4 minutes if the place is not crowded. If a person goes to the toilet before the ablution, then you can add another 5-7 minutes. Altogether, it will take approximately 10-15 minutes (toilet and ablution activity). A compulsory (farz) Namaz will not take more than 5-7 minutes. I think 30 minutes are fairly sufficient for a person to offer prayer even if he goes to a nearby masjid. I would suggest the management make this clear to the employees so that they pray in a group without disturbing others and allocate 30 minutes for this activity.

Fourth: There are only 2 times a person has to pray during his normal working hours (day shift): noon (Duhar) and Afternoon (Asr). For these 2 prayers, employees can stay an extra hour to compensate for the office time they utilized for their personal and religious obligations.

I am a Muslim and run my own business. I respect religious beliefs. In the past, I had Hindu and Christian employees working for me, and I had no problem with them performing their religious duties. I think it helps a lot and nurtures understanding and teamwork.

Best regards,

AMJAD LALA
(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)

Dear Amjad,

Sorry for digressing from the topic. Please excuse my ignorance, or rather misconceptions based on what I have read or been told by friends. Are Hindus allowed to bring books with pictures of Krishna or Rama, or bring small idols to SA? Can a Christian bring a Cross?

Have a nice day.

Simhan
A retired academic in the UK.

Dear Simhan,

I have offices in Chicago and in India. I have absolutely no issues with my staff in these two countries. In my Jeddah office, I do not have anybody other than Muslim staff.

With regard to bringing idols or books of other religions into Saudi Arabia - no, it is not permissible by the law here. I suggest you write to His Royal Highness King Abdullah directly to answer your question. Remember there is a big difference between monarchy and democracy. I am a citizen of India, but I work in Saudi Arabia and I respect the law of the land.

Best regards,
AMJAD

Usually, Salat (Namaz) needs 10-15 minutes to perform. If lunchtime and evening breaks are fixed by half an hour and 10 minutes respectively, the problem is solved. If someone wants to perform the religious part, there is no harm in doing so within the stipulated time. Motivated 15 minutes of work is better than demotivated 15 hours.

Dear Mr. Simhan,

With reference to your discussion with Mr. Amjad, let me provide you with certain information which was missed by Mr. Amjad.

1) SAUDI ARABIA, being the only HOLY COUNTRY/LAND for MUSLIMS, will never permit any activity against ISLAM because IDOL WORSHIP is strictly PROHIBITED in ISLAM.

2) Inside the cities of MADINA and MECCA, no NON-MUSLIM is ALLOWED under any circumstances.

3) Regarding PICTURES, BOOKS, and CROSSES that people may have carried with them, except for IDOLS.

We need to understand RELIGION. To what extent one is practicing or following RELIGION honestly is left to individuals because it is PERSONAL.

With profound regards,

Please do not encourage religious sentiments to seep into the work environment. If you allow Namaz, then you will also have to allow time for prayers by members of other religious sects. Respect for all religions is fine, but do not allow religious practices to be done in the office.

Cheers!!! Vasant Nair

Dear Vanita,

One should not forget the difference between privilege and right. Please remember that while granting a privilege, consider whether you will be able to manage if all employees demand the same in some way or another. I suggest reporting the matter to your boss before the situation escalates.

Regards,
Ganesh P. Sharma

Ms. Vanitha, the points made by Skhadir are very relevant and thought-provoking. There are various perspectives put forth by different people, and these perspectives are relevant to a particular context. Ms. Vanitha, you have to consider these inputs and decide what is best for you because you and you alone can appreciate the aspirations and sentiments of the people working under you. Kindly think broadly and make a decision based on what is good for you. One has to be open-minded and not restrict oneself to what is happening or followed elsewhere.

It is good to see different viewpoints, and I am sure you will be able to make appropriate decisions that are a win-win for both employees and the organization.

Some people are again comparing the work culture of the Gulf region with respect to India. I'll put it very bluntly. The Gulf economy is not dependent on the local workers but on expats. The locals are liabilities to the companies or organizations. The locals, under the quota system, come to work as per their wish and leave frequently under the guise of prayers. Most of the private companies just engage them for the sake of fulfilling the government rules, but in actuality, many companies are dependent on expats who scrupulously work there. I was in the Gulf for 3 years and gained insights into the work culture of the local workforce. If expats leave abruptly, those countries will come to a grinding halt.

Pon

Though it is not specifically mentioned in any employment agreement, it is very clear from the working hour policy in most organizations that any activity not related to defined official work is considered a personal activity. Personal activities are not allowed during working hours. However, before, after, and during lunch breaks, personal activities are allowed without utilizing the organization's resources.

In some business activities, it is required to bill customers on a Time and Materials (T&M) model. This model necessitates vendors to bill their customers based on the number of hours worked by the employee for that specific customer. Time spent on personal activities cannot be billed to the customer.

I am from Pakistan, which is an Islamic state as you all know. We do provide a specific place for all employees to offer prayers if they wish. If we are in the General Shift, the time for Zuhar prayers falls during the lunch break, i.e., 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., and employees must have their lunch and prayers within that time frame. For Asar in the evening, 10 minutes are allocated, but employees must ensure that their work is not affected, understanding that prayers should not be used as an excuse. Similarly, for other prayers, specific times are allocated, and people return to work after performing them. I agree with the suggestions of others to speak directly with the concerned parties regarding how their time off is impacting certain company rules. All good employees and employers will make efforts to come to a decision based on a win-win situation.

Regards,
Irfan

Hi,

You have to notice that they only go two times during the day, first between 1-2 and 4-6. How much time they consume you can ask them to work, and I believe they will definitely agree to it. For Salah (namaz), usually it will be 15-20 minutes only. No one goes for namaz just to kill time; in fact, if you notice, the majority of Muslims do not offer namaz.

Regards,
Your friend in Islam

While people can enjoy their religious freedom, nothing in any law says the concerned employee is allowed to take liberties during work time. During scheduled breaks, they can say their prayers. No one is allowed additional time apart from breaks for that. If someone is so religious as to need half an hour five times a day to say prayers, he or she should not be working.

I have seen Muslim employees in my client's office. They say namaaz on Friday for which they have asked for a delay in lunchtime on Friday and return within the lunchtime. In another office, I know four of them share a cab to quickly go to the nearest mosque and back to manage within the allotted time.

My own driver is Muslim. He checks my schedule in the morning on the days he needs to offer namaaz and schedules his prayers within that time available (when he is idle and I am in the office). For my part, on such days, I try to delay or prepone travel if possible as a matter of goodwill, but if it's not possible, too bad. He has taken up a job knowing the terms of his employment.

Please remember that if you allow this to happen, you may have a Hindu employee asking to be allowed to say his prayers. I know aarti can go on for an hour if someone wants.

Also, realize that if this escalates, the company will avoid recruiting from the particular community, which harms the community in the end, for the sake of a few persons taking undue advantage of religious freedom.

Dear Ms. Saswata Banerjee,

You are advised to refrain from giving unethical statements such as, "If someone is so religious as to need half an hour five times a day to say prayers, he or she should not be working." For your information, there are people who pray during the night while others are sleeping but still manage to be on time at their office.

I would appreciate it if you could be more practical in your writings. I kindly request you to try to understand the importance of praying five times a day in Islam and prayers in other religions. Prayer has a specific meaning and purpose. Once you have understood this, you can express your opinions freely.

In every religion, you will find different kinds of people. Some pray every day, some once a week, and some occasionally. People pray as per their wishes, and there are examples of those who never pray at all.

You are welcome to share your comments, suggestions, and views but refrain from provoking religious issues, which are highly sensitive topics in this world. Please be mindful of your limits and boundaries before writing anything. We do have the freedom to speak and write, but we should not create issues, harm individuals, or provoke anything that could lead to disaster.

I sincerely urge the members of this forum to consider this before posting comments, suggestions, views, etc., related to religion.

Kindly do not misconstrue my views, suggestions, or advice to suit your preference.

With profound regards,

Muslims should understand that we live in a secular country where people from other religions go out of their way to accommodate Muslim sentiments. Hence, Muslims should not make such big issues about prayers and, worst of all, never exploit this facility if given in whatever form.

If duty to God is important, so is duty to the country and duty towards the company that provides employment. Prayers should be adjusted within the lunch/tea/coffee break timings without making a hue and cry about it.

There is nothing great about Gulf countries/Saudi Arabia since they are extremely discriminatory in their dealings with human beings. As such, they consider Indian Muslims like 'B' Grade Muslims. We do not need to follow their example.

Muslims should respect the work culture of whichever organization they work for and keep religion in their private domain only.

Riyaz Khan

Hello,

I would be glad if you are more practical in your writings. I am requesting you to please try to understand the IMPORTANCE OF 5 TIME PRAYERS in ISLAM and PRAYERS in other RELIGIONS. PRAYER has a specific meaning and SPECIFIC PURPOSE. Once you have understood, then you can write anything you wish.

If it is that important, you have to join a Muslim organization. The law should be equal for everyone. In an office, if other persons cannot take even fifteen minutes in office time for their personal work, how can only Muslims take office time in the name of religion? Your prayers and religion are completely personal. You should not disrupt office times for the same on a daily basis.

We had a similar situation where some employees wanted to attend a religious lecture for one hour in the evening during the second shift for 90 days. So, we formally changed their working hours. Instead of their shift starting at 2:30 pm, they reported at 1:30 pm. We jointly agreed that there would be no pending work left at the end of the day. We made them submit this request letter, and we agreed to their request. Nobody objected.

You could try something like this: We have another issue where a few employees do not shave, wear footwear, or wear black dress during 40 days in December and January. My CEO doesn't like this, but we are quiet as of now.

Regards, Nataraj

Hi, guys,

Good morning.

On the subject of allowing employees to offer prayers to their religious faiths, the following points are to be considered:

1. Is it obligatory for the employer/company to allow such prayers during duty hours?

2. Have any labor acts specified any section or provision giving time for offering prayers during duty hours?

3. If employees request time to offer prayers during duty hours, the production schedules, availability of time, and the relationship of the work of the persons allowed for prayers with other connected works or groups need to be analyzed before granting permission for prayers. Isn't this difficult?

4. If there are no objections from production/other sections regarding any interruption of work/production schedules due to the persons allowed for prayers, this can be discussed in detail, and a schedule can be drawn up.

5. The time allocated for prayers should not exceed 10 to 15 minutes, and during this time, such employees may need to work extra.

6. Overall, it is not a good practice to allow employees to engage in prayers during duty hours as we say, "Work is worship."

7. During the 30-minute lunch break stipulated under the Factories Act, individuals who wish to pray can take 15 minutes for prayer, and the remaining time can be used for lunch without disrupting any work schedules or other individuals.

A.C. Krishnaiah,
Manager - Employee Relations and Development
in an MNC company.

Dear Vanitha,

Our manufacturing setup allows our Muslim brothers to perform their prayers during the Ramzan period, ensuring they have dedicated time for this practice. However, this accommodation is not provided on a regular basis. This approach is taken to respect and support their religious practices without causing any inconvenience or interference.

The names of these employees are shared with the production manager so that production planning can be adjusted accordingly.

I hope this information assists you in your decision-making process.

Regards,
Varalakshmi

Hi all,

I am fully satisfied with Mr. Khadir's suggestion. In this way, we can allow them to perform their prayers easily without wasting precious time.

Hi ram,

The above amounts to racial profiling. Unfortunately, it's the first thing people will think. Few, of course, will bother to state it like you have done. I was making the same point that if some people misuse prayer, employers will stop recruiting Muslims. That is bad for society in the long run. That worries me. Of course, each business will do what's good for them, not what's good for the society.

No one can be allowed to show their religious interests in public life. If you allow them to perform Namaz, then other people will start Maha Aarti or Gurubani, and your office will become a mandir, masjid, or gurudwara. While you may win the national award presented by the President of India for Rashtriya Ekta, your company will go bankrupt. No nation allows such religious activities during office hours.

Regards,
Pradeep

I would request the administrator to stop this discussion; most of the persons are advocating their agenda without being realistic and considering larger socio-economic interests and industrial peace. Advocating a point just because I belong to that specific community is not the right and professional approach. Better to stop this discussion. Ms. Vanitha must have got the idea of what she should do.

Thanks,
Manoj Thakur

I would not advise this, Ms. Vanitha. We are a secular state and tolerant towards all religious practices. But that doesn't mean we are going to allow separate prayer time during working hours. Work is work and that itself is worship. I have been working for the last 29 years in HR and I'm in a senior HR position in a well-known company. I have not seen any Muslims taking time to pray during working hours. I had some of the closest friends from the Muslim community. I still remember Mr. Aladdin from Andhra, at whose house I used to go during Ramzan and enjoy the sweets there. I have not seen them pray during working hours. As somebody observed here, it is permitted in Gulf countries being predominantly Muslim countries, but there Fridays are holidays and not Sundays! We are a country of multiple religious practices, and we cannot allow discounts for every religious practice inside a company. I say to stop this practice and do not allow this... From the way you explained that lady, I think she is taking praying time as rest time!

Please discuss with the employee. I also offer a prayer (Namaz) during office working hours. I take a maximum of 15 minutes. The employee can adjust the Zohar prayer during lunchtime or the Asir prayer before leaving the office, or manage prayer time by extending office working hours. If the employee spends a total of 30 minutes offering a prayer, they will need to increase their office time accordingly. For example, if the office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the employee can adjust prayer time within the office hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. as per discussion with our senior. I believe this arrangement will be very helpful for both sides. I also spend an additional 30 minutes in my office to adjust prayer time.

Hi Vanitha,

In my view, you can discuss with employees and ask for their views on the matter. Additionally, you can proceed further based on their feedback.

It would be advisable to suggest that if they wish to continue the same practice, they could consider working extra hours in the morning or evening, which they currently utilize for prayer.

Hi,

Any restriction on Namaz can create issues. Instead, you should suggest to the employee to work an extra hour to compensate if the work they are doing is time-based. If it's delivery-based and the individual is managing their time to complete the deliverables and Namaz, we should not be complaining.

Regards,
Neethu

Hello Vanitha,

You are not a Muslim; that's why you are feeling such things. I am a Muslim, and I know one thing: no one can stop anyone from praying. And that thinking of stopping itself is bad. If during office hours prayer is called, then what can people do? They are supposed to pray, so they will pray. If half an hour goes in that company, won't lose millions or billions. So why are you making this topic a big thing? I am in a Gulf country, and here if you stop an employee from just praying, then it is the biggest sin. We Muslims won't tolerate that also. We are not going for a party. Lunch break will be hardly an hour. In that hour also, people can pray. But the evening prayer, when will they? Does your company give a snack break? No, right? Then please don't make it such an important thing.

And finally, one more thing: yes, you need to permit NAMAZ during office hours. No other option.

Hi Vanitha,

With reference to your queries, I suggest that the organizational culture in your organization is not properly implemented. If your organization has an Islamic culture, then it is permissible. If not, your organization has its own culture, and you should try to follow the organization's culture properly so that employees will not follow their own culture.

When the organizational culture is strongly and equally shared among the employees, they themselves will not bring their own culture into the company. Conduct a training program to incorporate your organization's culture for all employees and help them understand the importance of following the common organizational culture.

With regards,

S. Subhash

How can you compare Namaz with Maha Aarti or Gurubani? We Muslims have 5 times prayer throughout the day. Is Maha Aarti or Gurubani the same? Please, it is not right to say such things.

How is this 5 minutes reasonable for a prayer? We can't just go straight and pray. We need to take wudhu (wash some parts of our body like legs, hands, head with prayer); that itself will take time. How can 5 minutes be given for a whole prayer? 20-30 minutes is a must. This is not a running race to run and come.

Hi Vanitha,

Let me give you an example. I am a 22-year-old MUSLIM. I have worked in three different organizations in the past 4.5 years, and they were not Muslim organizations. They let me offer prayers. It's all about understanding.

You understand the sentiments of your employees, and this would surely boost their morale and increase your productivity.

It is OBLIGATORY to offer prayers 5 times a day. Why make a hue about it? Any employee would mostly stay in the office till 5 or 6 in the evening. He only has a chance to offer 2 prayers during the office timings. He could offer the noon prayers during lunchtime without disturbing the work schedule. Regarding the 5 o'clock prayers, even if the employee is taking 15 minutes of time to offer prayers (in case he is in the office after 5 o'clock), I hope the company is not losing millions.

Organizations give smoking breaks, snack breaks, etc. So what if a prayer break is also given? Why make a fuss about it? Prayers have a great effect on the mind and body, which will indirectly benefit the company.

Regards,

Moiez

9000530177

Hi Vanitha,

I share the same views. It would be wise if your organization could allow employees to follow their religious traditions during office hours. Additionally, making employees aware of how to compensate for the time spent on their religious practices while ensuring they complete their office duties would be beneficial.

Dear All,

Regarding the discussion on Namaz, I would like to inform everyone that Namaz, which is an order directly from Allah, the creator and sustainer of this universe, is prayed five times daily at specific times. All God-fearing people pray five times regardless of their jobs/positions. Such individuals are truly devout.

HR Managers must make necessary provisions in their policies regarding this matter.

In a previous company, a few people (4-5) would come into the office 30 minutes early to have a prayer session. It was beneficial for them and helped them to bond.

I absolutely agree with you. It seems if some employee goes for half an hour for prayer, the company is going to lose millions. Some people just don't understand some religions.

Dear Mr. Ram,

At the outset, try to broaden your thinking levels. You are still living in a dark world. This thread is about procrastination and misuse of time/facilities at the workplace.

1) What do you mean by a Muslim organization? Is your organization established on the principles of religion?

2) Have you ever worked with Muslims who have been offering their prayers on time while delivering their best?

3) Kindly do your homework and get back to me on this: "You should not spoil office times for the same and on a daily basis."

4) Do not compare prayers with any other personal work. Understand the meaning of a prayer and its purpose.

5) My ex-organizations had permitted me to pray, and we never had any issues at the workplace just because we had an excellent understanding between us at all levels. Perhaps you need to study further on how Muslims are managing time effectively – i.e., offering prayers on time and engaging in other activities without incurring any loss.

You will find the best places in India itself to do your homework. Be practical all the time and don't write without evaluating the situation/circumstances.

Though prayers are mandatory for every Muslim, when we pray honestly praising the Almighty, we are blessed in many ways. We are not wasting our time nor spoiling work culture.

With profound regards,

Dear Vanitha,

I would suggest you ask those Muslim employees to seek permission from the concerned authority. If the authority permits, they should be allowed; otherwise, ask them to offer namaz during their lunch breaks. If the time allotted (15-20 mins) is considered as wasted working hours, then ask them to compensate by working extra during lunch or after working hours (Overtime). I don't know much about other religions, but except for Islam, no other religions have mandatory daily prayers. In Islam, it is a must to offer prayers in whatever situation you are in. Any namaz (except Friday) should not take more than 15-20 mins maximum. I don't think that HR should be so strict that they cannot allot at least 15-20 mins for religious prayer. My father has been working in India's one of the top leading automobile companies. He has been working in the chairman's (non-Muslim) office for the last 28 years. The chairman knows that he offers namaz but has never restricted him from offering the same. He even has a long beard, but the chairman has never insisted on him shaving it. I understand there are HR policies to be followed, and company rules and regulations differ from company to company. However, if a chairman of a company respects other religious ethics, then why can't HR? I am not trying to defend my religion and people; I am just explaining my point of view.

THE ANSWER TO YOUR ISSUE IS SIMPLE: IF THE COMPANY PERMITS THEM, THEN IT IS WELL AND GOOD FOR THEM. BUT IF THEY ARE NOT PERMITTED, THEY SHOULD ADJUST THEIR PRAYERS DURING LUNCH HOURS. IF THEIR NAMAZ AND WORSHIP ARE REALLY UP TO THE MARK, THEN ALLAH HIMSELF WILL SURELY MAKE THEIR WAYS.

Hi All,

I feel the whole discussion is such a waste of time. This discussion is causing some people to raise tempers, and others to have their own agenda. According to me, the main culprit in all these discussions is RELIGION itself. Do you know the longest running CON in this world is the very concept of GOD? If people could learn to live like animals without greed and absolutely no need to do any kind of prayers, there will be a lot of happiness and peace in this world.

NO GOD, No Prayers, No religion = only PEACE and Harmony in the world.

Peace,
PNB

Dear Vanitha,

Let the people do namas on time. 5 to 10 minutes is enough to do namas at one time. There will probably be two namas during office hours, one at noon and another in the evening. Ask them to do namas during the lunch break and evening tea break.

By FIROZKHAN

I think in this discussion, people have started supporting their religious agenda apart from understanding simple work ethics. Just imagine a situation where 1000 employees from different religions are working, and everybody requests you to perform their religious rituals during working hours; how would you manage the work, as it is not possible for timings to match for all of them.

So, I request that this discussion should be stopped with immediate effect as it is only propagating religious fundamentalism.

Thanks

Dear Vanitha,

Thanks for the Question and believing in CiteHr site, Members/Seniors/Moderators as a Good Adviser.

There are many good suggestion given my all respected Seniors, Moderators & Members, some has taken sensitively, some has express Professionally and some as Generally.

So by different type of views I hope you can easy got the conclusion and able to implement or Handle this simple issue professionally.

I just want to mention few points as other did.

1, The mention issue is not big, so its not necessary to go with higher management attention, but for your safe side, you can address it.

(But keep in mind as a good person no one should effect by losing Job)

2, Only two Mandatory Prayer come in during office hours, so Afternoon Prayer (Zohar) can be merged along with lunch time and for Evening Pray (Asar) you can give just 15 mins.

3, If in case work getting effected, if four or five person leaving together for prayer, then you can request them to go two person at same time, and once they come back then other can go.

As prayer can also be offered individual or group of two or three person at a time.

4, You can suggest them to bring Prayer Rug/carpet along with them and allocate some small place in any area which should be clean and advice them to pray individual or in group of two person.

Further to avoid more delay going out in mosque and coming back. (This I used to Do at Present).

5, You should be informed to the employee’s who going for the Prayers, that the time allowing for the prayer is just for the prayers, so kindly don’t misuse it.

(The person who ask time for prayer he just mean it, but I knew some of them just misuse as said by many comments, suggestion, just to escape from work, which is really not tolerated)

6, Lastly, in my point of view, if a person offer prayers either Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, they offered by the bottom of heart and that make Him/Her to avoid think bad or do bad.

In which the productively of the company automatically increased.

So kindly take up this matter easily and implement some simple rules in the benefit of organizer as well as Employee.

Thanks.

India is a secular and not a communist country where every Indian enjoys full rights to practice his/her religion in private and also in public. It'll be wrong to say that we all should become communists or atheists when at the office and again become religious and God-fearing when back at home. After all, we all know that most of us spend the major part of our day, and many of us some part of evenings also at the office. Hence, religious freedom cannot be curtailed at the workplace, and an Indian citizen has all the right to practice his/her religion even at the workplace, although it should not hamper his/her official duties.

We are in a modern setup and at modern workplaces where we have enough liberty, flexibility, space, and freedom, and nobody these days works like slaves. Hence, there is no doubt that a brief break can definitely be given to offer prayers to people of every religion if they want to. Even if such liberty is given, there will still be very few people who will actually pray since prayer is not entertainment, and not all people enjoy praying, even when at home. However, if anyone is found misutilizing or wasting that liberty, then he can be questioned and counseled, and appropriate action may be taken.

This is not a big issue, though a touchy one, and hence the discussions have gone so far on this issue. Had India not been a secular democratic country, then the matter would have been different, and the yardsticks would have been totally different. Let's try to value the secular and democratic fabric of our polity.

Dear All,

I think there has been too much discussion on this topic, and in between, Vanitha is invisible. I believe she is also becoming more confused after this.

Sorry to say this, but we are discussing something irrelevant about prayer.

When we talk about the importance of prayer in any religion and are eager to prove that, at the same time, how many other aspects of the respective religion are being followed?

Why do we pray? I believe that prayer creates a link and connection between God and us, which should be done honestly and from the heart. It can be done at any time, day or night, morning or evening, anytime you want to remember God and ask for His blessings. Then, why do we need a specific time to remember God? Also, I believe that no religion states to leave your work and only pray. We, as Indian people, believe that "Work is God" as seen in posters in factories and workplaces, and this was taught to us in our childhood. So, how can we forget it during our daily activities?

We should consider things differently, and even employees need to be educated on this. There is no need to compare practices from one country to another as cultures, people, and mentalities differ.

I sincerely apologize if I have hurt anyone's feelings, but I want to emphasize that I am not against any religion.

Regards,

Tushar Swar.

Dear Vinitha,

All the above suggestions are valuable and true.

Let me provide a live example from my own office based in Delhi, where the CEO also belongs to the Islamic religion, and many of our staff members are also from the same religion.

As a Muslim CEO, our employees are not allowed to offer Namaz on a daily basis during office hours. However, on Jumu'ah (Friday), they are permitted to go to the Masjid and offer Namaz, but not within the office premises.

You mentioned that your boss is not aware of this situation, which is a concerning aspect. While as employees we have the freedom to pray, worship, or offer Namaz, it is generally not encouraged in the workplace, as it is a place of business. Encouraging such practices regularly could lead to difficulties in oversight, especially if all 20 employees in the office start to follow their religious practices openly.

Therefore, as a manager, it is important to understand the office atmosphere, conditions, and employees' state of mind, and gradually work towards addressing this issue.

To clarify, we are in the workplace to work, and it is not appropriate to use the office/business premises for regular or daily worship. While certain occasions or times may be granted for religious practices, it is generally not acceptable on a regular basis.

Thank you and regards,

Manish Srivastava
+91-96707-66888

Religion is a personal matter and should not be discussed in public forums; otherwise, this will turn into mudslinging. This issue has to be dealt with caution within the organization.

Regards,
Umesh Kaushik

On what Tushar has to say regarding religion and life, I'm afraid that people have differing opinions, and this is not the correct platform to do a deep dive into those things. Here the matter is very simple - whether to allow any religious activity that doesn't come in the way of official duties or not. Even I sometimes feel that religion has done us more harm than good, and that religion should be a strict no-no at the workplace. However, being a secular democratic country that gives the right to every citizen to practice and preach one's own religion, I am of the opinion that prayers can and should be allowed in a limited way so as not to hamper work. If some people differ, then they need to think first if they're disallowing the right of religious freedom to any citizen. Offices, workplaces, and organizations are never above the country and its constitution, and whatever rights and duties the constitution provides to each citizen. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Dear Vanitha,

If you are aware that freedom of practicing and preaching religion is one's fundamental right in India, yes, there should not be any misuse of it. But you can't stop someone from practicing prayer; it is a violation of one's fundamental right. Neither can any organization do this. Now, coming to the point, every other person will ask for such permission for their prayer. So, madam, let me put this very straight: you also know that in other religions, there is no particular time for prayers or compulsion. But in Islam, one has to perform prayer five times a day without fail. It is compulsory. So, you can explain this to other employees if such a case arises. And you also know that no other religion mandates performing prayers five times a day.

It is very unfortunate that people have started to infringe on employees' personal freedom. I have worked in three organizations. No one stopped me in the first two organizations, but in my current workplace, the HR unnecessarily raises objections every time. She keeps inquiring about me, although I had mentioned during joining that I can't compromise on my prayer as both work and prayer are important to me. I assured her that I would complete my work on time but also need to perform my prayer. I suggested performing my noon prayer during lunch but later, after 2-3 days, she denied it. I was deeply hurt. How can someone say no to prayer? I reiterated that I had informed her earlier, and she couldn't restrict me. I requested to speak to the MD directly, but she refused, stating that the MD also disagreed. When I persisted, she denied me the opportunity.

She limited me to only 5 minutes. I decided to pray regardless. Due to time constraints, I only perform the obligatory part of the prayer because a full prayer is not feasible during the short lunch break. It is suffocating when she monitors my prayer time. Once, when I took 2 extra minutes, she reprimanded me to not exceed a single minute more. Despite completing my work on time and providing no reason for reprimand, she continues to criticize me. She is also my manager.

The most absurd part is her objection to the time spent in the washroom. She insists that no one should take more than 5 minutes in the washroom. I feel stifled and sometimes wish to leave the company due to these circumstances. It is disappointing that they can perform their religious practices at their seats or hold ceremonies in the office during Diwali but prevent us Muslims from praying.

There are no holidays for Muslim festivals, not even for Eid. Only one Restricted Holiday (RH) is granted, but what about other festivals? They have two days off for Diwali, one for Holi, and one for Christmas. It appears they only have an issue with Muslims, which is truly shameful. Please show respect and refrain from treating us in this manner.

Best regards.

Dear All,

India is unique in its diversity of religions, faiths, and beliefs. We are very accepting and permissive. We tend to overlook aberrations due to our phenomenally inherent tolerance, despite what the 'Intolerance Brigade' says! It is much easier to manage work in homogeneous environments, where only single faiths reside, than in a heterogeneous environment like ours.

The factors that must be weighed while considering this problem are:

(a) Number of man-hours lost, if any. If none, then the problem is solved.

(b) If man-hours are lost, can other workers, who may not have a daily requirement of taking time off, be compensated on a monthly basis?

(c) Can a via media be found such as a minor adjustment in the lunch break to the mutual satisfaction of all faiths, and still retain harmony without affecting the output of the organization?

It is not a problem to be taken lightly as it affects the sensibilities of all faiths in one way or the other, while impacting the productivity of the organization. Hence, it needs a very carefully considered decision by the upper management, which should become policy to be respected by all without deviation or rancor.

Here's wishing you all the best.

Colonel Gahlot (Retired) TRURECRUIT