Reasonable Accomodations for Religious Purposes - Friday Prayers

[Anonymous]

Have any Muslims successfully applied for an RA to attend Friday (Jummah) prayers? I’m a child of 9/11 and have spent my entire career trying to fly under the radar as a Muslim. I never say why I’m off for Eid, I don’t tell anyone I’m fasting unless I have to, no one knows I pray in my office. However, I’m at the point where being a fed sucks so bad, why not seek out this one accommodation and attend Friday prayers at my mosque every single week? I am worried about perceptions but I know I have a reputation for being hard working and capable.

Has anyone else thought about it or applied for it?

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised you only asked for Fridays. I'm waiting on my request to telework so I can do my 5 prayers a day.

[Anonymous]

I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

[Anonymous]

PP here. In case anyone wants to see the OPM memo of June 16:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/latest-memos/reasonable-accommodations-for-religious-purposes/

[Anonymous]

Honesty at this point, why not? It’s not like the RTO is about efficiency or productivity anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

Do you have enough leave to cover the time off to attend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

Do you have enough leave to cover the time off to attend?

Read the memo. Telework accommodation for time-specific prayers. The burden shifts to agency to establish undue hardship.

I know the fed haters on DCUM will go apoplectic.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a good template or boilerplate language for providing justification? Or should I just ask ChatGPT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

Do you have enough leave to cover the time off to attend?

Read the memo. Telework accommodation for time-specific prayers. The burden shifts to agency to establish undue hardship.

I know the fed haters on DCUM will go apoplectic.

Not the PP but I read the memo and nowhere in there does it say someone doesn’t have to take leave for these things, only that they should be allowed to telework. Telework does not equal go to church (or the gym or grocery shopping). That mindset is what got us here in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

Do you have enough leave to cover the time off to attend?

Read the memo. Telework accommodation for time-specific prayers. The burden shifts to agency to establish undue hardship.

I know the fed haters on DCUM will go apoplectic.

Not the PP but I read the memo and nowhere in there does it say someone doesn’t have to take leave for these things, only that they should be allowed to telework. Telework does not equal go to church (or the gym or grocery shopping). That mindset is what got us here in the first place.

But if you have flex time you can work around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

Do you have enough leave to cover the time off to attend?

Read the memo. Telework accommodation for time-specific prayers. The burden shifts to agency to establish undue hardship.

I know the fed haters on DCUM will go apoplectic.

Not the PP but I read the memo and nowhere in there does it say someone doesn’t have to take leave for these things, only that they should be allowed to telework. Telework does not equal go to church (or the gym or grocery shopping). That mindset is what got us here in the first place.

Exactly. Praying =/= working for a check paid by taxpayers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

Do you have enough leave to cover the time off to attend?

Read the memo. Telework accommodation for time-specific prayers. The burden shifts to agency to establish undue hardship.

I know the fed haters on DCUM will go apoplectic.

Not the PP but I read the memo and nowhere in there does it say someone doesn’t have to take leave for these things, only that they should be allowed to telework. Telework does not equal go to church (or the gym or grocery shopping). That mindset is what got us here in the first place.

No, but telework so that someone can go directly from work to an obligation and come back, taking leave or shifting hours or using their lunch break for the time they aren't working, is a RA.

I live a couple blocks from my house of worship. If I have a religious obligation during the day, and I'm working from home, I might miss an hour for a 45 minute service. I can use my lunch break, and add 30 minutes to my day in the morning or the end. If I went to work, and wanted to do the same thing, I'd need 2 hours to incorporate my drive back and forth, and shifting my start time 2 hours earlier, or my end time 2 hours later doesn't work because of when I need to drop off or pick up my kids. So, teleworking would let me fulfill my obligation. What OP is asking is probably the same and a very reasonable request. My only hesitation is if disclosing religion opens them up to discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

Do you have enough leave to cover the time off to attend?

Read the memo. Telework accommodation for time-specific prayers. The burden shifts to agency to establish undue hardship.

I know the fed haters on DCUM will go apoplectic.

Not the PP but I read the memo and nowhere in there does it say someone doesn’t have to take leave for these things, only that they should be allowed to telework. Telework does not equal go to church (or the gym or grocery shopping). That mindset is what got us here in the first place.

Of course I won’t count my time at prayer as part of my workday. The whole point is that I will telework for 8 hours from home so that I can attend my prayer group during a long break. I have maxi flex so there is no need to take leave for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Christian who is about to request Friday telework to attend an in-person prayer group at my church on Friday mornings. The June 16 OPM is so broad and so tilted toward the employee that I figure why not try this. I think you should definitely request it. No one but your supervisor needs to know the details. Good luck! 👍

Do you have enough leave to cover the time off to attend?

Read the memo. Telework accommodation for time-specific prayers. The burden shifts to agency to establish undue hardship.

I know the fed haters on DCUM will go apoplectic.

I'm not a fed hater (former fed myself) but this kind of thing is precisely why people hate the feds and think most are lazy users.

[Anonymous]

I think the risk is the accommodation they offer you is being able to work 4x10s in the office. Remember with the RA process you do not get to pick the accommodation.