BlackBerry Prayer: Violation of Title VII?

It’s routine for all kinds of employees to bow their heads silently during all kinds of meetings. Is the person speaking at the meeting leading a prayer? Are the employees praying silently? No. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act isn’t implicated at all. These folks are intently using their BlackBerrys.

As the New York Times reports, there’s a serious debate going on about whether executives, managers, supervisors, and employees should use their BlackBerrys, iPhones, and other smartphones while a meeting is in progress. Some argue that it’s just plain rude. Others argue just as strongly that it’s another part of the price for having today’s technology: the expectation of an immediate response 24/7.

Few employers have policies on smartphone use in meetings, so employees experiment. If everyone’s doing it, including executives and other bosses, then why not join in? Most BlackBerry junkies say they’re always using them for business purposes, although they’re sometimes used in meetings to play games, check Facebook, Twitter, ESPN.com, and send emails about how boring the meeting is.

The BlackBerry prayer is so rampant, stemming its use is probably a lost cause by now. Never mind that it’s distracting to the speaker and others. Never mind that it’s no different from leaning over to someone sitting next to you and having a conversation while someone else is trying to talk. Never mind that no one can engage in the BlackBerry prayer and stay focused on the meeting. What’s more important is technologically using every single second of every single day. Why, it makes one look important.

Why have meetings at all? Let’s just send messages via smartphones. That way, we can participate in multiple meetings simultaneously. Think of the efficiency. Think of the productivity. Plus, we won’t actually have to see anyone all day long. Employees at all levels have long prayed for that.