Blog Supporting your Muslim employees during Ramadan Last updated: March 31, 2023 Calculating… In the workplace it’s paramount that importance is placed on diversity and inclusivity and therefore all religions, cultural celebrations and festivities should be respected and celebrated! Across the world, around 1.6 billion Muslims will be observing Ramadan and celebrating Eid, and in this blog, we’ll be showing you how you can properly support employees observing Ramadan. What is Ramadan? Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as the month that the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and fasting (sawm) and prayer (salat) are two of the five pillars of Islam that help Muslims connect deeper to their faith during Ramadan. Ramadan is a time for good deeds, prayer, spending time with loved ones and helping those in need whilst also abstaining from drinking, eating and anything that could be considered a bad habit. Ramadan dates change each year. During Ramadan, Muslims fast between dawn and sunset. Outside of this, it is common to have one meal ‘suhoor’ just before dawn and ‘iftar’ directly after sunset. This might mean that many of your employees will be abstaining from food and drink during working hours and could be fasting for up to 14 hours. Therefore it’s really important to support your employees and offer them a little extra grace at this time. How to communicate with employees during Ramadan As with most things in the workplace, communication is key. Make sure you communicate and show your awareness to any employees who are fasting during Ramadan and ask them if they need any special arrangements. Considering your employees’ needs will make them feel appreciated and recognised. Here are a number of things you can do to support employees observing Ramadan. Be understanding and respectful Being understanding and showing respect is the best starting point. This can range from educating ourselves on the cultural practices during Ramadan to being mindful of any Muslim employees’ needs. Make sure you communicate with employees to find out if there is anything that they need that will support them better. In a statement, the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission recommends that employers should “take steps to foster a culture of inclusion and respect for all employees, regardless of their religion or belief”, and should provide support and reasonable adjustments to help employees observe their religious practices, such as fasting during Ramadan. If you have an EDI committee and any Muslim members, it would be great to let them lead the communications around this and offer two-way channels for feedback. You could even ask if any of your Muslim colleagues are comfortable hosting a sharing session on Ramadan and practices. This can help educate the rest of your workforce so they can support their teammates and will eliminate any possible misunderstandings, especially on topics that can be considered sensitive such as flexible timings and lunch breaks. Accommodate any special needs of your employees Practising Ramadan might be challenging for some employees and certain changes throughout this period might make the lives of any employees who are observing Ramadan much easier. Altered sleep patterns and fasting can really impact your energy levels as the day goes on, especially in the first few days. Giving employees the option to start work earlier or leave earlier might make all the difference in their day. For example, if an employee who is fasting usually stays late, letting them leave an hour or two earlier can have a huge impact on their productivity and performance. Employees observing Ramadan might want to take annual leave for the festival of Eid al-Fitr, the festival which marks the end of fasting. Additionally, later in the year, some employees may also request leave for Eid al-Adha, another significant Islamic holiday. Make sure you’ve spoken to your employees and work together to accommodate their needs. If your employees are coming into the physical workplace, do you have a space dedicated to pray? If your workplace does not already have a designated prayer space, consider providing a private, quiet area where Muslim employees can pray comfortably. This could be a dedicated multi-faith space or a quiet room that can be used for prayer during breaks. Be sure to ask employees what they would prefer that will allow them to do their job efficiently while observing Ramadan. Allow flexible working Where possible, giving your employees the choice to work around when they’ll feel the most productive at certain points in the day is a huge benefit. If this is an option for your employees, encourage managers to agree temporary changes to shift start and end times to enhance productivity while working around the practices of Ramadan. If this isn’t an option, encourage all colleagues to be mindful and structure the workday for those observing Ramadan by: Holding meetings at suitable times of the day Arrange working hours differently for the month – earlier start times or later start times. Some staff might even wish to work through their lunch and finish earlier Avoid compulsory team lunches or evening meetings Recommended reading 📖: How flexible working can encourage employee engagement and output Encourage rest breaks Fasting employees should be encouraged to take rest breaks as needed, to rest or pray. Some may prefer to adjust their schedule to maintain their productivity, while others may find shorter, more frequent breaks beneficial. Giving your employees the choice will help in providing necessary support. How to wish your colleagues a ‘Happy Ramadan’ Ramadan is an important celebration for your Muslim employees, so be sure to show your support and kindness by wishing them a happy Ramadan! You can do this by wishing colleagues: Ramadan Mubarak – means ‘Happy Ramadan’ Ramadan Kareem – which means ‘have a generous Ramadan’. How to include Ramadan in your company updates Utilise your intranet social feed to post articles and resources educating the rest of your workforce on Ramadan, direct people to your ED&I area or create a Community Hub for those celebrating Ramadan to come together in celebration! With business communications, it’s important to be transparent and considerate to everyone. Therefore this is a great opportunity to set out a clear policy for those observing Ramadan (this can be done for a range of religious celebrations within your organisation) which sets out a range of expected standards and what those observing the celebration can expect in terms of support from your company. Are you posting a monthly update? Make sure you use this as an opportunity to wish all employees celebrating Ramadan a happy and healthy Ramadan! Conclusion By being attentive to employees and celebrating their cultures and values, you can pave the way in supporting diversity and inclusion in your workplace. This will have a huge impact on your organisation as a whole. By setting an example of education and understanding of different cultures, religions and celebrations, your workforce will become connected and strengthen relationships with one another. Read our Diversity & Inclusion Guide for more tips on inclusivity in the workplace.
In the workplace it’s paramount that importance is placed on diversity and inclusivity and therefore all religions, cultural celebrations and festivities should be respected and celebrated! Across the world, around 1.6 billion Muslims will be observing Ramadan and celebrating Eid, and in this blog, we’ll be showing you how you can properly support employees observing Ramadan.
What is Ramadan? Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as the month that the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and fasting (sawm) and prayer (salat) are two of the five pillars of Islam that help Muslims connect deeper to their faith during Ramadan. Ramadan is a time for good deeds, prayer, spending time with loved ones and helping those in need whilst also abstaining from drinking, eating and anything that could be considered a bad habit. Ramadan dates change each year. During Ramadan, Muslims fast between dawn and sunset. Outside of this, it is common to have one meal ‘suhoor’ just before dawn and ‘iftar’ directly after sunset. This might mean that many of your employees will be abstaining from food and drink during working hours and could be fasting for up to 14 hours. Therefore it’s really important to support your employees and offer them a little extra grace at this time.
How to communicate with employees during Ramadan As with most things in the workplace, communication is key. Make sure you communicate and show your awareness to any employees who are fasting during Ramadan and ask them if they need any special arrangements. Considering your employees’ needs will make them feel appreciated and recognised. Here are a number of things you can do to support employees observing Ramadan. Be understanding and respectful Being understanding and showing respect is the best starting point. This can range from educating ourselves on the cultural practices during Ramadan to being mindful of any Muslim employees’ needs. Make sure you communicate with employees to find out if there is anything that they need that will support them better. In a statement, the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission recommends that employers should “take steps to foster a culture of inclusion and respect for all employees, regardless of their religion or belief”, and should provide support and reasonable adjustments to help employees observe their religious practices, such as fasting during Ramadan. If you have an EDI committee and any Muslim members, it would be great to let them lead the communications around this and offer two-way channels for feedback. You could even ask if any of your Muslim colleagues are comfortable hosting a sharing session on Ramadan and practices. This can help educate the rest of your workforce so they can support their teammates and will eliminate any possible misunderstandings, especially on topics that can be considered sensitive such as flexible timings and lunch breaks. Accommodate any special needs of your employees Practising Ramadan might be challenging for some employees and certain changes throughout this period might make the lives of any employees who are observing Ramadan much easier. Altered sleep patterns and fasting can really impact your energy levels as the day goes on, especially in the first few days. Giving employees the option to start work earlier or leave earlier might make all the difference in their day. For example, if an employee who is fasting usually stays late, letting them leave an hour or two earlier can have a huge impact on their productivity and performance. Employees observing Ramadan might want to take annual leave for the festival of Eid al-Fitr, the festival which marks the end of fasting. Additionally, later in the year, some employees may also request leave for Eid al-Adha, another significant Islamic holiday. Make sure you’ve spoken to your employees and work together to accommodate their needs. If your employees are coming into the physical workplace, do you have a space dedicated to pray? If your workplace does not already have a designated prayer space, consider providing a private, quiet area where Muslim employees can pray comfortably. This could be a dedicated multi-faith space or a quiet room that can be used for prayer during breaks. Be sure to ask employees what they would prefer that will allow them to do their job efficiently while observing Ramadan. Allow flexible working Where possible, giving your employees the choice to work around when they’ll feel the most productive at certain points in the day is a huge benefit. If this is an option for your employees, encourage managers to agree temporary changes to shift start and end times to enhance productivity while working around the practices of Ramadan. If this isn’t an option, encourage all colleagues to be mindful and structure the workday for those observing Ramadan by: Holding meetings at suitable times of the day Arrange working hours differently for the month – earlier start times or later start times. Some staff might even wish to work through their lunch and finish earlier Avoid compulsory team lunches or evening meetings Recommended reading 📖: How flexible working can encourage employee engagement and output Encourage rest breaks Fasting employees should be encouraged to take rest breaks as needed, to rest or pray. Some may prefer to adjust their schedule to maintain their productivity, while others may find shorter, more frequent breaks beneficial. Giving your employees the choice will help in providing necessary support.
How to wish your colleagues a ‘Happy Ramadan’ Ramadan is an important celebration for your Muslim employees, so be sure to show your support and kindness by wishing them a happy Ramadan! You can do this by wishing colleagues: Ramadan Mubarak – means ‘Happy Ramadan’ Ramadan Kareem – which means ‘have a generous Ramadan’.
How to include Ramadan in your company updates Utilise your intranet social feed to post articles and resources educating the rest of your workforce on Ramadan, direct people to your ED&I area or create a Community Hub for those celebrating Ramadan to come together in celebration! With business communications, it’s important to be transparent and considerate to everyone. Therefore this is a great opportunity to set out a clear policy for those observing Ramadan (this can be done for a range of religious celebrations within your organisation) which sets out a range of expected standards and what those observing the celebration can expect in terms of support from your company. Are you posting a monthly update? Make sure you use this as an opportunity to wish all employees celebrating Ramadan a happy and healthy Ramadan!
Conclusion By being attentive to employees and celebrating their cultures and values, you can pave the way in supporting diversity and inclusion in your workplace. This will have a huge impact on your organisation as a whole. By setting an example of education and understanding of different cultures, religions and celebrations, your workforce will become connected and strengthen relationships with one another. Read our Diversity & Inclusion Guide for more tips on inclusivity in the workplace.
