Eid Al-Adha is a significant feast for all Muslims worldwide. They celebrate it by having family gatherings, eating together, buying new clothes, exchanging gifts, and praying.
Your workplace might include different employees with various religions;
some of them might be Muslims.
Muslim employees request time off in the times of Eid Al-Adha, which
might be a problem for many employers.
While it seems to be affecting business negatively, giving employees
time off during Eid Al-Adha has many benefits for your company.
Dr. Job Pro represents seven reasons why you should provide time off for your employees during Eid Al-Adha.
1- Not to let them feel left out
Employees'
families and friends will celebrate Eid Al-Adha, gather, attend prayers, and
spend so much quality time together.
Your
employees would feel left out if they don't participate in the celebrations of
Eid Al-Adha with the rest of their families and friends.
They might
not be complaining about the situation, but they would feel sad and left out
deep down.
2- To guarantee their productivity
If employees
work during Eid Al-Adha, they will be distracted, not focusing, and
unproductive.
All that the
employees will be thinking of is how much fun they'll be missing. They will
also be depressed about the fact that their families are gathering without
them.
When
employees take religious holidays off, it motivates them to be more active and
productive before and after these holidays.
If you give
them Eid Al-Adha off, it will reflect their general working mood and productivity.
Employees will be more relaxed and comfortable, which boosts their work
quality.
3- So they feel accepted and included
Two of the
essential values that every employee should sense in their workplace are acceptance
and inclusion.
When
employees feel tolerated for who they are, it impacts positively on their devotion and
productivity.
Companies' policies should respect diversity and consider inclusion by taking practical steps towards them. A part of these practices is giving your Muslim employees time off during Eid Al-Adha.
For more information, Drjobpro Survey: 53% Of Employees Agree That A Healthy Work Environment Enhances Performance
4- For the company's reputation
The company's
reputation is entirely affected by the way you treat your employees.
It reflects
your workplace's policy and attracts more future candidates.
Moreover, it
affects your image among clients and competitors.
Respecting
your employee's requests is marketable and represents your management strategy.
5- To avoid discrimination
Rejecting
your employee's request to take time off during Eid Al-Adha might be taken as a
way of discrimination against Muslim employees.
Everybody in
the workplace should take their deal of proper treatment and respect.
Discriminating
between your employees according to their race, gender, color, or religion is unacceptable
and would cause you a bad reputation in the business market.
It also
causes candidates to stay away from applying for any future jobs in your
company.
Would you
please avoid that by considering the requests of Muslim employees to take time
off during Eid Al-Adha?
6- To build a positive work environment
It's not
easy to reach a positive work environment for all employees, but it's possible.
By taking specific
steps, you can accomplish that. One of
those steps is considering their request for religious holidays.
When your
employees feel heard and accepted, it reflects in their performance and mental
health. That builds a positive work environment and happy vibes throughout the
workplace.
7- To support the sense of belonging
One of the
main factors to generate a sense of belonging to any workplace is when
employees feel appreciated.
Employees
work hard for the whole year and devote their efforts to work, so they deserve
some time off during Eid Al-Adha.
Creating a
sense of belonging has excellent results to work productivity. When employees
feel that they belong to the workplace, it encourages them to work harder and
think for the good of their company.
What if you can't give them time off?
Sometimes,
it's impossible to give employees time off during Eid Al-Adha because it will negatively
affect the business, and there's no other way to solve it.
If you have
a small company and all the employees want to take Eid Al-Adha off simultaneously,
it might not be the best for your business.
Here are
other alternatives to help you and your employees reach common grounds about
taking time off during Eid Al-Adha.
1- Have an honest conversation
Communication
is essential between employers and employees. You should talk to them honestly
and explain the situation clearly. They have the right to know the real reasons
behind them not taking time off during Eid Al-Adha.
Respect your
employees and explain the whole situation politely. They will probably
understand.
2- Provide a prayer room
Muslims need
to have Eid prayer. It's an essential ritual in any feast for Muslims.
It's a great
idea to provide employees a prayer room so they feel more appreciated.
Moreover, it will help them perform their religious practices comfortably.
3- Celebrate Eid Al-Adha at work
If you can't
give them time off work to celebrate Eid Al-Adha with their families and
friends, let them enjoy it at work.
Create a
celebration at your company, provide gifts and let them have a good time.
In conclusion,
giving your employees time off during Eid Al-Adha is a hard decision, but the last reasons might be convincing enough for you.
Happy Eid Al-Adha to you all!