Tips for Ramadan at Work

If you are observing Ramadan and are employed by a company or organization, here are some helpful tips for you and your employers about working during Ramadan.  

• Determine when Ramadan is and if this could affect you at work.   

• Ensure everyone that you work with understands what Ramadan and fasting entail and how it could impact you. Fasting for long hours, often 17 hours a day, is not easy, and your colleagues need to know how it could impact your behavior and work practices.   

• If shift work is the norm, see if any changes can be made to offer you an opportunity to swap shifts or change your working hours in a way that works for you and your colleagues who are not observing Ramadan.   

• If you are working a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. role, consider flexing your start and finish times. See if you can work lunch hours and breaks in return for an earlier finish.   

• If you do not feel comfortable sitting and watching people eat and drink, do not feel obliged to accept colleagues’ invitations to work gatherings and parties during your fasting hours. It is completely okay to say ‘No.’   

• Discuss with your employer the option to take a break at sunset to break your fast if you still happen to be on shift. This should give you enough time to break your fast, pray, and eat properly later.   

• Try having your meetings in the morning if they need a high concentration level. People are usually relatively fresh in the morning.    

• Lastly, if you are planning on taking time off to celebrate Eid, discuss it with your employer ahead of time.