Atheist Demands Meditation Breaks To Match Religious Coworkers’ Prayer Time

An atheist at an international company stirred the pot by demanding 30-minute daily “meditation” breaks to match his religious coworkers’ paid prayer time.

After resentment over their 2-3 daily 10-minute breaks, he won the same privilege, but his move sparked a wave of similar requests from non-religious colleagues, causing friction.

A friend called him rude for “ruining” things, but he insists he’s just claiming equal treatment. Let’s unpack the story and see what the online community says about this bold move.

This tale brims with workplace drama and questions of fairness. Was OP wrong to push for this?

This story dives into workplace fairness and religious accommodation. OP, an atheist, saw inequity when religious coworkers got 30 minutes of paid daily prayer breaks.

His demand for “meditation” time was a clever push for equality, and his boss’s quick approval after HR review suggests the company feared discrimination claims, as pyrobryan noted.

However, OP’s initial resentment, as plumdelight criticized, taints his motives, making his push seem partly spiteful.

Organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant notes, “Fairness builds trust, but personal motives shape how actions are perceived” (Give and Take). OP’s choice to call his breaks “meditation” avoided mocking religion, a smart move.

Still, the ripple effect, other non-religious coworkers demanding similar breaks, exposed the company’s unclear policy. The friend’s Christmas argument falls flat, as holiday time likely uses PTO, not special privileges.

OP’s fight for fairness was valid, but a broader proposal for universal break time could’ve avoided friction. The company should clarify policies to ensure equity across beliefs, as Nikki3to suggested, preventing further tension.

Here’s the advice: Keep using your meditation time for mental health, but pitch HR a universal short-break policy (e.g., 10-minute daily breaks for all) to diffuse tension.

If colleagues or your boss push back, explain your goal is fairness, not rivalry. Build bridges with coworkers to ease workplace strain.

Here are the comments of Reddit users:

The online community leans toward supporting OP, seeing his push as a stand for fairness, though some call him out for envious motives.

They split into three groups: backing equal rights, criticizing his resentment, and suggesting universal break policies.

Many praised OP’s fight for equality and encouraged expanding it.

A few pushed for a fair, universal break policy.

Some called OP petty for acting out of resentment.

OP wasn’t wrong to demand meditation breaks to match his religious coworkers’ prayer time, but his initial resentment stirred debate. The online community mostly backs his push for fairness but urges a less confrontational approach.

This story raises questions about workplace equity and handling religious differences. Have you faced unfair treatment at work? How did you tackle it? Share your stories below!