During Ramadan, HR professionals, managers,
and employers must be mindful of their Muslim employees' new routine.
Comprehending their background and
meeting their specific needs demonstrates strong leadership and ensures that
people work to their full potential. Implementing inclusive policies will foster
confidence and lead to higher employee satisfaction, improved morale, and increased
productivity.
While being strict and firm is
always essential when developing policy, HR professionals and others should be
flexible while setting guidelines for Ramadan in the workplace.
What can leaders do to support Muslim employees in Ramadan and help them maintain their wellbeing, given the sudden lifestyle changes?
Raise Awareness
Ensure that all employees who work
with Muslim coworkers know what fasting means and how it can affect them.
Fasting for about 15 hours/ day is challenging, and coworkers must understand
how this can affect their behavior and work practices.
Set Flexible Work Hours
This tip is for companies that
don't work the typical 9-5 workday. Muslims in Ramadan have two meals which are
Suhoor and Iftar.
You can plan your work schedule
around these times, so they feel comfortable.
Please give them the right to plan
their shifts around these meals. This versatility helps Muslim team members to
pick and choose when they want to work.
And that's when they can maintain
high productivity levels.
There're two types of people: those who prefer
to work right after suhoor in the morning and others can be more productive
late at night, after Iftar.
Set A Flexible 9-3 Work
Schedule
According to the UAE labor law,
the work hours are reduced by two hours in Ramadan. You can give the freedom to
the employees to choose whether to work before or after Iftar.
They can also divide their day
some hours before Iftar to arrange tasks with other team members, and
individual tasks can be done after Iftar.
Give A Room For Shift Workers
to Take a Break
This should give them enough time
to break their fast, pray, and eat properly.
If canteens are already available
for staff, make arrangements for certain meals to be set aside for those who
are fasting to not have fewer options at the end of the day.
Consider Work-from-Home Options
Employees can find it challenging
to
strike
a balance between fasting and work. And that's totally natural. Allow your
people to take a few days off to adjust to their new lifestyle. And be aware
that some of them will need to take sick days. As a result, allowing them to
work from home is a fantastic choice.
Don't forget freelancers who may
have different timings, deadlines, etc.
Schedule Meetings Wisely
Meetings should be after prayer
times; you've to be flexible with Muslim colleagues. The best time for a
meeting is in the morning where people are active and fresh.
Avoid Evening Meetings
And if it's just online video
meetups, don't ask people to commit to evening activities. Nights are reserved
for Iftar, praying, and possibly virtual meetings within the family.
Be patient with lower job
performance level
Fasting employees are more likely
to be less productive, particularly in the later hours of the day. HR managers
should be mindful of this and should not unfairly penalize or criticize an
employee whose productivity has declined due to religious practice.
Set A Religion Practice Policy
The employer should be aware of
the nature of Ramadan as Muslims aren't sticking to abstain from food and drink
from sunset to sunrise only, but they've to pray more, read Qur'an. It's a
month of being with Allah all the time.
Allowing Muslims to observe their
religion while refusing to offer equal benefits to employees of another
religion will be considered direct discrimination. So, it's better to set a
clear policy regarding this.
Provide Private Praying Areas in The Workplace
That is not only in Ramadan. It would
be helpful all the time as Muslims pray five times/day. They usually take no
more than 5-10 minutes to complete their prayer.
Provide a comfortable (and
private) place for your Muslim employees to pray. You can set a specific time
for them in the meeting room or allow them to go to a local mosque as another
option.
Utilize Ramadan to Maintain a
Friendly Work Environment
Employers can host a virtual Iftar
and let their teams share an aspect of their lives to build a strong bond among
them. In turn, this will boost productivity and company returns.
Non-Muslim employees can also
offer help to fasting Muslims to relieve some workload. It's not a must as
every employee should be accountable for his duties, no matter the situation.
However, this reflects how employees are generous and friendly with each other.
Handle Annual Leave Requests
Smartly
Employees attending religious
holidays can have a strong demand for annual leave for a specific period. After
Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, which is also an important festival for
all Muslims.
So, employers can receive a flood
of requests for annual leave near the end of Ramadan. Employees
have to plan for their work progress during this period to enjoy their holidays
without delaying or affecting their tasks.
Are you wondering now how to
apply all these tips?
Communication plays a significant role here. Don't be afraid to ask respectful questions to get a clearer understanding of the holy month and how you can help them feel more comfortable. The majority of Muslims are open to sharing their thoughts to help the employer benefit both themselves and the business.