Ramadan: what you should know as an employer

This year, Ramadan runs from Wednesday 22 March to Friday 21 April. If you’re an employer and you’ve got employees participating in Ramadan, here’s what you need to keep in mind.

A brief overview

During Ramadan, all Muslims (excluding those who are sick, travelling, old, pre-puberty, pregnant or breast-feeding) fast from dusk until dawn – 4am to 9.30pm.

As well as refraining from food and drink, Muslims also stay clear of cursing, thinking evil thoughts, swearing and using improper language.

Things to be aware of

1. Increased tiredness

Because Muslims fast during daylight hours, there’s a very good chance their sleeping patterns may be disrupted. As a result, they may come to work more tired than usual. If this is the case, be sensitive and try to accommodate any increased levels of exhaustion.

2. Dip in concentration

The absence of food and drink throughout the day will inevitably take its toll on participating Muslims, and could cause their blood sugar levels to dip. This could have a knock-on effect on concentration and alertness. Again, this is something to be considerate of and, where possible, show leniency on.

Health & Safety

It’s important to consider the Health & Safety implications tiredness and reduced concentration might have. If an employee does a job where a dip in awareness could put themselves or others in danger – e.g., drives as part of their role, does shift work or does manual work like operating machinery – you must address this.

You should conduct a short risk assessment and put additional measures in place, if necessary. If you feel the job would be too dangerous, you could suggest the employee takes annual or unpaid leave for some or part of the day. Remember though, forcing an employee to take leave in these circumstances if they don’t want to is likely to be unlawful.

3. More time for faith

During Ramadan, some Muslims may wish to practice their faith more frequently. Be prepared for and open to individuals requesting flexibility or some time out during the working day to offer a prayer.

If this genuinely isn’t logistically possible, don’t be afraid to say no – providing you have a clear and identifiable business reason, you’re within your rights to do so.

How you can help

1. Never assume

Don’t assume an employee isn’t Muslim just because they don’t look a certain way. Muslims come from various backgrounds and cultures. Conversely, don’t assume an individual is taking part in Ramadan because they do look a certain way.

2. Communication is key

Consider whether you need to raise awareness of Ramadan within your business to show you support it and ensure all employees are aware and accommodating. However, it’s generally better to do so in a more ‘low-key’ manner, as employees may not be comfortable with too much attention being drawn to themselves or feeling singled out.

3. Show leniency

Although it might not be ideal, try to show leniency with regards to working hours. Some individuals might request to start earlier or work through their lunch hour to finish earlier – if you can temporarily accommodate this, do.

Again, as we touched on earlier, don’t be afraid to say no if it genuinely isn’t practicable for the running of your business.

4. Be considerate

If possible, try to hold off organising team meals or extra activities during Ramadan. If it’s unavoidable, don’t be offended if an individual participating in Ramadan declines.

Avoiding discrimination claims

It’s unlawful to treat any employee less favourably because of their religion. However, this doesn’t mean you’re obliged to make every allowance during Ramadan.

You should try to accommodate any requests made within reason, but don’t be afraid to turn some down it they’re just not practicable to your business. Providing you can prove you’ve genuinely considered an employee’s request and tried to accommodate it as best you can, you should be able to defend any claims.

For peace of mind, it might be worth keeping written records of such requests and discussions.

We’re here

If you’ve any questions regarding Ramadan and your workforce, our experienced advisors are on hand to help. You can get in touch by giving us a call or contacting us online.