What employers need to know regarding the creation of quiet rooms : consultation, management, etiquette, communication, monitoring, feedback, furniture, location, orientation... To find out more about our philosophy of calm, visit our website : http://ministryofcalm.com

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Quiet Rooms at Work
What employers need to know
Creating a quality quiet room is a pro-active way to show commitment to
equality in diversity - a good reputation for diversity helps to attract, motivate
and retain staff, which has a positive impact on costs. It need not be costly –
an existing room can be adapted and even dual purpose rooms are possible.
This guide refers to ‘quiet rooms’ rather than ‘prayer rooms’ reflecting the
need to make provision which is welcoming and accessible for people of all
faiths and with no faith.
How to go about it:
Consultation
• Get to know your staff – what faiths they belong to and what their needs
are.
• Consult widely – don’t let discussion be dominated by any one user group.
• If you do a staff survey, make sure you do so sensitively, and make it
clear that information collected will be used in the best interests of staff.
Managing quiet rooms
• Quiet rooms need to be managed to function well.
• Input from all the faiths using the room should be sought – a ‘quiet room
users group’ with representatives from each of the main faith groups
involved can be useful.
• Some faith groups may use the room more frequently than others, with
the result that minority users feel intimidated. A multi-faith committee,
with links to both HR and employee faith networks, will help to remedy
this.
Sharing the space
• The space can be shared quite harmoniously - consult with all the user
groups, agree whether congregational prayer is allowed and if so
communicate clearly at what times it will take place.
• Some employers prefer to allow the space to be used only for individual
prayer and reflection - this can make it easier to accommodate different
groups at the same time.
• Collect regular feedback and review the situation periodically to make sure
room users are happy with how the space is being allocated.
Etiquette
• Different faith groups and cultures may have different expressions of
spiritual etiquette, for example removing shoes, limiting conversation in
the space, or the necessity for the space to be kept particularly clean.
• These are all things which the multi-faith management group will need to
be aware of and make provision for.
• Some employees may decide the room is a good place to take their
laptop, prepare for a meeting or even take an afternoon nap. If you
decide this is inappropriate, this needs to be clearly stated in the room’s
guidelines for use or terms and conditions.
Communication
• Decisions about the space need to be made with the involvement of room
users or their representatives, and communicated very clearly.
• It is also important that employees know that the room exists and its
location. Make sure this is included as part of the induction for new staff.

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Monitoring and feedback
• It is essential to have some formal way of monitoring use of the room and
checking that it remains inclusive and is treated with respect.
• All users of the space should know how they can register any difficulties or
issues they encounter in using the room.
• A comments box or book can be helpful if users want to make comments
anonymously.
Seating, furniture and accessories
• Flexibility is vital - things should be easy to move around, stacked or
folded. Storage cupboards would help.
• Some furniture may be needed: chairs, cushions, a small table, a screen
or curtain, shoe racks could all be helpful.
• Religious artefacts
• Faith artefacts (such as symbols, holy books, prayer mats) should ideally
be stored in a cupboard and put back after use.
• Individuals or groups can be encouraged to donate the artefacts they
want.
Location
• It is important to consider accessibility and also likely noise levels.
• Proximity to washrooms is appreciated by faiths who need to wash before
praying. Sometimes disabled toilets are adapted to provide low sink
facilities for washing rituals.
• Clear signposting is essential.
Orientation & shape
• Some faiths pray facing a particular direction. The shape of the room
should where possible fit with that orientation, and the door should not be
situated in that direction.
• Men and women may prefer to pray separately. Moveable screens can be
provided, but the shape of the room could also potentially be utilised.
Neutrality
• Avoiding any religious imagery is better than attempting to accommodate
all faiths.
• Neutral colours, simple abstract designs (avoiding imagery of people or
animals) and effective use of light can all be employed to create a
beautiful and welcoming space.
More information:
www.efbelief.org.uk
www.stethelburgas.org
www.thebusinessoffaith.org
www.quietrooms.co.uk
www.acas.org.uk
Employers Forum on Belief
Floor 3, Downstream
1 London Bridge, London SE1 9BG
© Employers Forum on Belief 2009