In 2023, Ramadan will likely begin on Wednesday 22nd march and end on Friday 21 April (depending on moon sightings). In the UK, those observing the holy month will be fasting and taking part in religious practices for 30 days.
Many working Muslims will be fasting from sunrise to sunset everyday, which could be around 17 hours of not eating or drinking everyday for 30 days.
Although fasting is usually the primary association with Ramadan, the month involves a lot more exertion than refraining from food and water. Eating your first meal at sunset, extra prayers, late nights and a heightened emphasis on patience and virtue are all part of experiencing the holy month.
HR practitioners, line managers and other stakeholders need to be aware of the personal and religious sensitivities of their Muslim employees during this period.
Understanding their experience and accommodating their particular needs shows good management and helps ensure people perform to the best of the abilities. Implementing policies that accommodate can only lead to nurturing mutual trust and ultimately lead to higher staff retention, better morale, more effective teams and greater productivity.
Muslims as a whole have specific religious boundaries; Ramadan is a time when many of these become more acute.
Although consultation is always key to creating policy, there are some best practice guidelines that HR professionals and others can adhere to when wanting to address Ramadan in the workplace.
