Workplace Trend: Prayer And Meditation Space
July 16, 2014
I always enjoy encountering a positive trend in the workplace. So, I’m very excited that Bayshore Partners has been on the leading edge of one. Just recently, we worked with a company that included a prayer room into their tenant improvements. Turns out, this is a growing trend, particularly in high tech workplaces.
Increasing diversity in the workplace is a modern fact of life. Every workplace of the twenty-first century is made up of workers from widely varied cultural and religious backgrounds. The tech workforce has shifted dramatically in demographic composition as immigrants from South Asia have come to dominate professions that require high levels of quantitative skill, particularly science, engineering, medicine and financial analysis. Employers are looking for ways to attract and retain these highly skilled workers. One effective tactic is to create a work environment that accommodates diversity. A recent study bears out the wisdom of this thinking, finding that workers whose religious needs have been accommodated are more loyal to their employer.
There is substantial body of research that supports the idea that taking time away from the computer to pray or mediate actually increases productivity. While many of the requests for prayer space come from Muslim employees, there are an increasing number of employees from all religions and spiritual traditions who have a daily practice that involves prayer and meditation. Google, Orbits and many other high profile employers are providing prayer/meditation/mindfulness spaces in their facilities.
In recent years, there has been an increased willingness among employees to ask for accommodation of needs related to their religious and spiritual practice. There have been several court decisions in favor of religious accommodation, giving more workers the courage to speak up and ask for what they need.
I expect this trend to expand, because it really is good business. The workplace already allows time for coffee breaks and meal breaks. Setting aside space for quiet time, prayer or meditation is a low cost way to improve employee morale, raise productivity and increase good will. Many companies find that simply cleaning out a closet and providing appropriate lighting and ventilation can accommodate the needs of many workers. These spaces become multipurpose, allowing privacy for prayer, contemplation and mediation as needed.
Is adding this employee benefit something you’ve considered for your company?
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