You catch your very religious employee napping, but they claim they were just praying.What do you say to them?

Answer 1

WAKE UP SMELL THE COFFEE

Answer 2

Tell them, “I have no problem with you practicing your religion, just don't do it on company time, you might offend other employees. If you need to pray then you can do it on your lunch break.”

If the employee brings up Islam, then you can tell them, "Oh I didn't know you were a Moslem, where is your pray rug, and why aren't you on your knees praying toward Mecca?"

If the employee says that you allow Moslems to pray on company time then you can say, "Yes, that is how they practice their religion, however in Christianity such prayer sessions are reserved for church or your home. Remember the Puritan ethic is key to all forms of American religions and the American way of life."

Be polite, be firm, and don't let them get away with lying to you. The employee is trying to be clever and catch you on a sensitive issue. If they continue to try and use that excuse then tell them that you must hear them praying so you can tell that they are not sleeping or otherwise goofing off. Show that employee that you can be just as clever as they are.

On the other hand many companies have found that naps make more productive workers. The US Army Medical Corp recommends taking 20 minute naps. Of course you can't nap while you are on duty, that is a flagrant violation of orders, so your napping employees should be given time to nap and required to make up that time.

The key here is "You can do whatever you want on your time, not on company time." I don't know what your company's policy is on Moslem prayers, but the principle should be the same. A Moslem should be allowed to pray whenever their religion dictates, but they are not working while in prayer so they should not be paid. If they want to use their standard 15-minute break per 4 hours of work differently then that is up to them.

If your company doesn’t have a policy on napping or Moslems praying then it might be time to develop one. You have to be fair and impartial to all. You could even assign this employee with the task of coming up with a draft of your new policy.

Answer 3

You have to be very diplomatic in this situation. I might say something like, "I respect your deeply held religious beliefs, but would you mind limiting prayer, that pulls your attention away from your job, to your break periods? I need to talk to you about business right now, and when I come in and find you praying, I feel that your co-workers and I are having to set aside business while we wait for you to finish prayer and I don't think that's appropriate."

Answer 4

Pray on their own time. When you do things that are not about work you are stealing from your employer.

Answer 5

Pray on your own time or you'll be praying you'll find a new job

Answer 6

You aren't getting paid to "pray" either