Praying during work hours: What are your rights?

Questioner

There is a Muslim at our company who would like to pray. It is therefore permitted to do this during the break. However, now he also wants to pray outside the breaks. According to him, it is a legal right. I do not think so, since anyone who is religious can then stop the production process in the factory. So the question is: Is it permissible for a believer to pray during working hours?

Lawyer

You are right. I quote the Equal Treatment Commission: The employer who employs Muslim employees in his company is obliged to a certain extent to enable the employee to fulfil her religious obligations. However, he is not obliged to set up a prayer room for these employees. Nor is the employer obliged to grant an employee's request to be allowed to pray at all times at work. On the other hand, the employer may not proceed to a general ban on praying. This leads to prohibited discrimination. The employer may, however, impose conditions. For example, an employer may require employees to pray only during their own time, namely during breaks. Source: Advice from the Equal Treatment Commission from 2004 'Labour, religion and equal treatment'

Questioner

Thank you very much. This is clear information that I can now take with me.

Lawyer

Don't mention it.