Is it okay to practice religion at work?

Question

There is this coworker that listens to Christian radio all loud. I cant stand it cause all I hear is devil this-devil that. Sometimes It seems that they workship the devil more than God.
Is there a law that prohibits religion practice at work?!
I hope there is one.
If someone could respond, would be really appreciate it.

Answer 1

If your in the USA then it's free religion no matter where. Outside in Canada and Europe, I think so, in the mideast, except for Egypt, you can't unless you're Moslem.

As for your coworker, thats not a religeous oath he MUST do, so you could tell him to turn it down or report it to your boss.

Answer 2

Listening to the radio would not generally fall into the category of practicing one's religion, though I could think of a possible exception for those who like to listen to the Pope when he speaks from Rome.

Anyway, this isn't really a religious matter but one of common courtesy and work efficiency. If the radio is distracting other workers, it is a problem that the owner/manager/supervisor should take up. Perhaps the radio listener could turn down the volume or use headphones.

As a believer in freedom of religion, I would consider it immoral to deny a co-worker the right to practice his faith wherever appropriate, so long as he shows an equal respect for the rights of others and uses common sense and common courtesy as a guide.

Answer 3

As a Christian woman, I wish I could say otherwise--but in these times, it has gotten to the point where no, it's not okay to practice religion in the workplace. (Where I live, there is an HEB Supermarket that pipes nothing but Christian music throughout the store but it's done at a level to where it doesn't bother anybody) It is our Constitutional right to practice our chosen religions freely; but personally I don't think it should be done to the point where it infringes upon the rights of others.
I can't give you a specific law off the top of my head I apologise, but if your co-worker's religious practices are interfering with your own work, then by all means go and speak to your supervisor. Hope any of this helps. :-)

Answer 4

There is no law against publicly displaying one's religious beliefs. And there should never be one. But- we should be mindful of the people around us and respect others' religions. First, a radio playing anything can be a distraction. Can he wear headphones? Or maybe he can just listen to is softer or just at break times and lunch times. I suggest that you talk with him and if he refuses to compromise then go to your boss. Or play your radio loud with country or jazz or something. That last suggestion is a childish one but maybe if you do that a few times he will get the hint.

At a Christian hospital my mom worked at, one of the doctors was a Muslim or a Hindu. He wore a turban all the time and had a prayer mat in his office. He prayed at certain times of the day and she was not to schedule patients during those times. She had even walked into his office a few times to put papers on his desk and he was sitting on top of his desk praying on his prayer mat. It looked odd to her because she is Catholic and doesn't have those rituals but she and the other staff workers respected him and his beliefs. They knew when prayer time was and they were quieter at those times and didn't disturb him. They all worked well together. Good luck with this.

Answer 5

Well, I would suggest that you approach this a different way.
You could mention to your supervisor that you find it harder to concentrate with all that blaring going on, and you worry that it could affect your productivity. You can be sure they will put a stop to it - not just that, but any radio in the office.

There is no law that I know of that would prohibit someone from advertising their beliefs at work, like a pillow that says "Jesus Loves Me" or a crucifix. But if it crosses the line into defaming others, like "You're either Saved or you're Damned," HR would probably weigh in that keeping such material in public view is offensive to others. So you could also talk to HR about this if the religious (vs. the noise) aspect offends you.

Good luck!

Answer 6

A hostile work environment is not conducive in a place of business and is a Human Resources problem if the supervisor doesn't take appropriate action.

Loud radios, loud and boisterous activities, strong perfume and cologne, off-color jokes, sexual innuendoes, and more constitutes a hostile work environment. Listening to broadcast religious events, particularly not of your faith, is not conducive to good work relations.

Do something about it by reporting it to your supervisor or manager. They are obliged to take action.

The radio listener should use ear phones that will block the program from other employees.

Answer 7

No, it's not okay to practice religion at work because it's inappropiate and make A LOT of people (ESPECIALLY those who are of other religious faiths) uncomfortable. If you're practicing religion at work and SO aggressive with it, then you're ATTEMPTING to influence it on others, which is not good AND unfair! I believe in God and believe that he rose Jesus from the dead, but I am NOT gonna force ANY of my coworkers to believe in my God and have Jesus as their personal Saviour! HOWEVER, I WILL bring up that they will go STRAIGHT to hell if they DO NOT believe in the Almighty Being AND NOT affiliated with ANY spiritual faith (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc.)!

Answer 8

People of faith often try to practice their religion in all that they do and all of time. But, that has to do with loving one's neighbor, being kind, and so forth, not interfering with others by playing their radios so they can be heard. Perhaps asking nicely if your co-worker would mind using earphones would do the trick. If that does not work, talk to your supervisor.

Answer 9

naw ... no laws. But why don't you just ask him to turn it down or change the channel. Even better, engage him in some faith based questions.

I spend a good deal of time in a science lab and do listen to the contemporary Christian yahoo! station. Occasionally, someone will ask me to turn it down, and I'm happy to oblige. This will sometime lead to some discussion of Faith and it can be a really great relationship building experience.

good luck!

Answer 10

Don't be naive. We all carry our beliefs into the workplace.... even you as evidenced by your comments on your co-worker's choice of music (too loud; don't like the lyrics - sounds like a parent's comments on this kid's music).

An employer's obligation is to it's owners/shareholders to make as much money for them as possible. They should and do take action against any activity that hinders this result. They man not, however, descriminate. If they do not allow one type of music to be played, they should not allow any music to be played. If they allow music but control the volume then all music must have that volume limit. Whatever policy that applies to one must apply universally or it is descrimination.

It is probable that the music that you prefer is objectionable to your co-worker. Why don't you listen to your own music?

Answer 11

This isn't about laws, it's about the age old practice of controlling the radio at work. Usually seniority picks the station but if you have enough workers you can revolt and get the station changed. Majority rules over seniority.

fight for the right to your station !!!!!