Below is a detailed list of many great ways to ensure you’re looking after and supporting your employees during Ramadan. We hope they help!

1. Learn when Ramadan is approaching and who this could affect in your workplace. Many Muslims will not mind if asked about the month of Ramadan and this way you can learn first-hand how to be supportive and respectful during this time.
2. Ensure all staff that work with Muslim colleagues are aware of what fasting means and especially how this could impact someone. Fasting for seventeen hours a day is not easy whatsoever and colleagues need to appreciate how this can translate into behaviour and working practices.
3. Try to use Ramadan as a platform for greater understanding and improving team dynamics. This is a wonderful chance to bring your teams closer together and to spread understanding. One great idea is throwing a virtual or in-person iftar during the evening and allow people to share a part of their lives with fellow employees.
4. Be flexible for shift workers. If your employees are engaged in shift work, look at any changes that you can make to offer those who choose to fast the opportunity to swap shifts or change their working hours in a way that suits everyone involved.
5. For those in a 9-5 setup, consider being flexible and provide options for shifting start and finish times, or working from home. If can be easy to allow people to work lunch hours and breaks in return for an earlier finish, or to let them come in earlier/later. With many employees working from home, it’s even easier for employers to allow greater flexibility for Muslim employees who are fasting.
6. Avoid booking in important meetings in the afternoon. If you are expecting high concentration levels from people, don’t expect this after lunch time. Schedule more important meetings for the morning when people are still relatively fresh.
7. Create a space for prayer. If you can, creating a space that is quiet and secluded can give your Muslim employees a place for prayer.
8. Arrange for meals to be saved for people who are fasting. If your organisation has a canteen or cafe for your employees, save meals or extend serving hours so they’re not left with less choice at the end of their day. This also should apply to any lunches or events you put on for your employees.
9. Make special allowances for Muslims who need to take a break at sunset to break their fast. This is especially important if they are front-line workers and are still on shift. You need to provide them with ample time to break their fast, pray, and then eat properly.
10. Remember that evenings are dedicated to eating, prayers and potentially gatherings within families and communities. Don’t expect people to commit to evening events, even if they are just online video calls or meetups.
11. Be understanding of Ramadan and that it might not be comfortable for them to watch others eat and drink. Asking people to attend a lunch meeting or a Friday wind-down event or party – even if it is on zoom or video chat – demands a lot of Muslim employees. Many may politely agree or decline.
12. Expect people to take 1-5 days holiday at the end of Ramadan to celebrate Eid. The end of Ramadan is a special time when whole families and neighbourhoods usually get together to share presents and food. This is a celebration of the end of Ramadan and his highly important. It’s important to make efforts to consider your Muslim employees during this time.

We hope these tips have helped and give you a chance to support your Muslim employees during Ramadan. Being aware, flexible, and thoughtful will make a lot of difference to your workplace.

For more advice, look at Oakwood’s short courses!