Well being: Take it easy in Ramadan? Perhaps

Managing productivity during Ramadan requires an honest discussion between employers and their staff, according to experts.

Muhammad Osman, at Beehive. Antonie Robertson / The National

Fatigue, headaches, irritability and lack of focus are all common symptoms experienced by those who are fasting. So should companies encourage their staff to take it easy over ­Ramadan?

“In my opinion, it comes down to managing the expectations of both parties,” says Natalie Brown, the Abu Dhabi-based managing director of Select Training and Management Consultancy, who has conducted Ramadan awareness sessions for some of her clients. “I often advise my clients to sit with their teams and have an honest discussion about the work that needs to be done. It is unrealistic to expect that same level of productivity when their staff are working fewer hours; however, the work still needs to be done.”

For Majid Al Futtaim, one way to boost productivity and morale during the Holy Month lies in promoting a healthy lifestyle. The Emirati holding company held a Health Week at the start of this month, offering all employees health screenings and fitness activities, including a presentation on how to maintain a good diet over the holy month.

By law, Ramadan working hours are reduced by two hours a day but at the online peer-to-peer lending platform Beehive, working hours for those who are fasting are cut by double that. One of Beehive’s three Muslim staff from their team of 19 is their design lead, Muhammed Osman, 39, from Pakistan. “I don’t want to have stressful working hours when I’m fasting,” he says. Beehive allows him to choose when he would prefer to come into the office over Ramadan. “I like to come late, but one of my fasting colleagues prefers to come in early,” he says.

Ms Brown says companies adopting this approach need to make sure that everyone is in agreement with the flexible timings, and has sufficient staff starting at these times. “For retail, construction or manufacturing businesses, requirements will be different,” she says.

Beehive also organised a Lunch and Learn event before Ramadan, to let Muslim staff explain to colleagues about Ramadan.

Q&A: Natalie Brown, the managing director of Select Training and Management Consultancy, tells Jessica Hill how companies can support employees during Ramadan:

Should companies offer staff more flexible working hours over the Holy Month?

It’s a great help if a company has “core” working hours where everyone is expected to be in the office, and then allows their staff to work around these. In my organisation some of the team will start at either 8am, 9am or 10am and then finish after they’ve worked six hours. This ensures that all work that requires the whole team can be achieved between 10am and 2pm.

Should different tasks be delegated to those who are fasting?

The tasks should definitely be realistically allocated to the staff. As this Ramadan falls at the beginning of the summer, the heat places additional stress on those fasting.

How can managers ensure that non-fasting staff are respectful to their fasting peers?

It is all about awareness and understanding the meaning of Ramadan. Some of my clients ask me to conduct awareness sessions. Topics include what to take if you’re invited to an iftar, what is fasting, why Muslims fast, what the exceptions are and how to be more conservative at work. Managers should definitely have an allocated room where non-fasting staff can eat or drink.

How about organising a staff iftar?

Absolutely. A lot of our clients hold company iftars, and these are sometimes big events for the whole family.

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