"The Boss is Paying, So I'm Praying: Working for a Privately Owned Company"
The Business of Furniture - 7/19/17 Edition
Stephen Says Column

 Dear Stephen: 

 
 I work for a privately owned carpet company. Every year at our sales meeting our CEO leads a Christian prayer to start the meeting. It’s a privately owned company, and a real mix of people work here. I have atheist coworkers, and Muslims, Hindus and Jews make up the majority of our sales force. Of course, no one is forced to pray; it just happens, and that’s it. Some people roll their eyes at the beginning of the prayer, but no one ever said a thing. Until recently, that is. 
 
 I am a regional VP, and last month the subject came up in a training meeting. Basically, some of us questioned the practice, and my boss turned to us and said, “It is my company. I’m paying, you’re praying.” That is an exact quote. Word seems to have gotten out about the prayer practice because occasionally it is dicey with a new hire who asks about it during an interview. We are equal opportunity employer, and I’m worried this will end up hurting us, but my boss is right, it is his company. 
 
 I guess I’m wondering how common this is. 
 
 Pray for Me
 

 Dear Pray for Me:

 
 These sorts of practices are more common than you think in privately owned companies. Have you ever seen the documentary on Madonna? Like many musicians, before going on stage she has her employees say a group prayer. When do you think was the last time Madonna or any of her troupe was in church? 
 
 Some people think of it as good luck, and for others it is tradition. Then there are those, like your boss, who take their prayer more seriously. One way or another, owners of private companies have wide latitude to dictate these sorts of things. It isn’t just prayer, of course, there are lots of ways for owners to impose their will — well-intentioned or otherwise — on their employees. 
 
 Let me offer a slightly different example. My first year out of college, I was living with my parents and working for Haworth. Just before Thanksgiving, I got a call from my mom while I was at work. She was very confused to find a large frozen turkey addressed to me sitting on her front porch. She told me there was a note from a man named Jerry Haworth wishing me a happy Thanksgiving and wanted to know who this man was who was sending frozen poultry to her house.
 
 I hadn’t heard of this very generous tradition, but I can tell you my mom was very thankful once I filled her in on all the details. I understand this tradition continues at Haworth to this day. Now, what if I was vegetarian or vegan or a card-carrying PETA member committed to ending all of humanity’s carnivorous tendencies? Surely, there are people who don’t want a dead turkey on their front porch. This doesn’t mean that the tradition is in bad taste or that it isn’t munificent, nonetheless, there will be employees who are less than thrilled with the way it impacts them.
 
 When you accept a job at a privately owned company, part of what you are accepting is the policies and whims of the owner. Whether it is prayer before lunch, a nap room or a frozen turkey, the boss is paying and so you either accept it or quit. We all know manufacturers where the owners do not drink for religious reasons and don’t even want liquor on their expense accounts. Try closing a deal like that! But they are the ones who pay the checks. Bottom line is a privately owned company is not a democracy. When you accept a job, you should know about the culture and the boss. With that information, you can accept it or not. It’s your choice before, but once you’re there, they’re paying, so you’re doing what they want.
 
 Stephen
 
 You can send your workplace questions to Stephen at: StephenSays@bellow.press.
 
 Questions selected to be answered, will appear in this column. Please use the Subject: Stephen Says for all emails. Stephen Viscusi is a bestselling author, television personality, and CEO of The Viscusi Group, global executive recruiters located in New York. Follow Stephen on Twitter @WorkplaceGuru, Like Stephen on Facebook; and follow him on Linkedin.