Supporting Your People the Right Way During Ramadan 

The holy month of Ramadan will begin with the sighting of the crescent moon. This year, it’s expected to commence on the evening of Friday 28th February and end on the evening of Sunday 30th March.  

Observed annually by Muslims across the globe, Ramadan is a sacred period of spiritual reflection, prayer and community. Many people will fast from dawn until sunset throughout the month, abstaining from eating and drinking during daylight.  

With over a billion Muslims observing Ramadan each year, it’s likely that people in your team will be participating. As an employer, there are plenty of things you can do to mark this sacred period while being understanding, accommodating and compassionate.  

Speak to your employees about the support they need  

Remember, not all Muslim employees may be observing Ramadan. To avoid assumptions, encourage staff to let their line managers know if they’re fasting.  

Before introducing any accommodations, speak to your employees and ensure you’re supporting them in a way that’s both welcome and meaningful. 

Some employees may not feel comfortable disclosing details, so offering a way for them to share anonymously can make all the difference. For instance, you can create a space on your intranet where people can say how they want to be supported – giving you a good idea of the kinds of initiatives people want.     

Educate your teams on the significance of Ramadan  

Having a company-wide learning session on Ramadan is a great way to help your workforce understand its significance. It can help other colleagues be sensitive to the needs of anyone who may be fasting.   

As part of this session, you could also invite Muslim staff to share what Ramadan means to them, building inclusion and creating meaningful connection across the team.   

It’s important for line managers to understand the significance of Ramadan so that they’re equipped to have conversations about any adjustments that might be needed.  

Be flexible with working arrangements   

Wherever possible, offering flexible working options can really support Muslim employees during Ramadan. Whether that’s flexible start and end times, creating windows for prayer breaks, or allowing shorter lunch breaks in exchange for an earlier finish, any flexibility can set the tone for a positive work experience.  

For organisations where employees may work outside of fasting hours, ensuring you accommodate time for staff to eat and pray is vital.   

Likewise, being flexible with meeting times can help. For example, some employees might prefer to have meetings in the morning rather than the afternoon, where energy levels may have dropped.  

Provide a prayer space  

As a deeply spiritual time, Muslim staff may wish to pray and reflect throughout the day during Ramadan. If your workforce is office-based, offering a quiet space for them is a great way to be inclusive of their needs. And being accommodating of prayer times can ensure that employees can participate without issue.  

Try to honour last-minute leave requests  

Because Ramadan is held alongside the lunar calendar, the dates aren’t always known until close to the time, making it difficult for people to plan ahead. Being understanding of this and allowing last-minute annual leave requests where possible can make a big difference.  

You might also see an increase in annual leave requests towards the end of March, as employees may wish to take time off to celebrate the end of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr.  

There are so many ways to support staff during Ramadan and help your team understand its huge significance. We hope these tips have given you a good starting point!