Ramadan and HR: Best practice for Ramadan

In 2025 in the UK, Ramadan will most likely start on Friday 28th of February and finish on Saturday 30th of March (depending upon moon sightings). The holy month is observed by those who fast and follow religious practices.

Some working Muslims will fast from sunrise to sundown every day. This could mean around 17 hours without eating or drinking each day.

Ramadan is not just about fasting. It’s a month that involves much more than avoiding food and water. The holy month includes eating your first meal after sunset, additional prayers, late night hours, and an increased emphasis on virtue and patience.

HR practitioners, managers and other stakeholder groups need to be sensitive to the religious and personal sensitivities that their Muslim employees may have during this time.

It is good management to understand their experiences and accommodate their needs. This will help people perform at their best. Implementing policies to accommodate mutual trust can lead to greater staff retention, improved morale, and more productive teams.

Ramadan brings out the religious boundaries of Muslims in general.

There are some guidelines for HR professionals to follow when addressing Ramadan at work.

This article contains some suggestions, but their relevancy will come down to your understanding of your team, whether there are 1,000 Muslims or just one.

These are only general guidelines. Muslims vary from one generation to the next, and even within a culture. Some are more devout, while others are not. There are also many different interpretations of Islam.

The individual may be a Muslim only by name and not practice the religion. The information covered here is intended to be applicable for the majority of Muslims, but not everyone.

What is Ramadan?

The word Ramadan is simply the name of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. This is the most holy of the 12 months, as it was during Ramadan that Prophet Muhammad first received divine revelation.

It is the month that you devote yourself to God.

The Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles. Ramadan begins at the time of the new moon. The start and end times of Ramadan change every year.

In the UK, Ramadan is currently held between late winter and early spring. The daylight hours have increased, but the Ramadan period for Muslims is shorter than a summertime Ramadan.

What is Ramadan for Muslims?

All Muslims must fast from sunrise until sunset. When fasting, no food, water or other substances can pass the lips.

Some actions, such as lying, slandering, denouncing another person behind their back, making a false swear, or showing greed or covetousness, are not permitted while fasting.

At sunset, the fast is broken with a meal known as iftar. The most common way for Muslims to break their fast is with water and dates, as it’s traditional. After sunset, they can drink and eat as much as they want.

Along with fasting, Muslims spend the majority of their evenings performing a special prayer known as taraweeh. This is performed at a congregation in a mosque. The prayer may last from one to three hour.

Eid ul Fitr

Eid ul Fitr – Festival of Fast-breaking – is the celebration of the end of Ramadan. On the first day, Muslims usually visit the mosque to pray. Then, families and friends will visit one another and exchange gifts. We can expect big celebrations to take place in the UK over these few days, and we should expect Muslim employees to request holidays around this time.

Ramadan best practices for the workplace

1. Determine when Ramadan will be approaching and how this may affect people at work. Asking about the next month is not a problem for Muslims. Without having to ask directly, you should be able know if they are fasting.
2. Make sure all staff that work with Muslim co-workers are aware of the fasting, and what it could mean to someone. Fasting for 17 hours is not an easy task and co-workers need to understand how it can affect their behaviour and work practices.
3. If shift work is common, consider any changes you can make. Give those who are fasting an opportunity to change shifts or their working hours.
4. Consider flexitime for those who work 9-5. If you can, allow people to take breaks and lunches in exchange for a faster finish. In the current situation, where many employees work from home, employers should be able to offer greater flexibility to Muslim employees who fast.
5. A Muslim’s attendance at a Friday “wind-down” drinks party or a luncheon meeting requires a lot from them. Some may agree politely, while others will decline. Be tolerant of those who don’t feel comfortable watching others eat or drink.
6. Allow Muslims who are on duty to break their fast at sunset if they’re front-line workers. Allow them enough time to pray, break their fast and eat.
7. You can reserve some meals for those who are fasting so they don’t have to go hungry at the end.
8. Don’t schedule meetings in the afternoon. Meetings that require high levels of concentration are best scheduled before lunch. Use the morning, when people are relatively fresh.
9. Even if it’s just a video chat, don’t expect people to attend evening events. Evenings are reserved for eating, praying and virtual gatherings with family members and the wider community.
10. People will take 1-5 days off at the end Ramadan in order to celebrate Eid. This is the equivalent of Christmas, and it’s the only time during the year when families and neighbours get together and share food and presents.
11. For members of the fasting team who work remotely, determine time differences, and how this will affect you in terms of meeting , SLAs or deadlines.
12. Use Ramadan to improve team dynamics and gain a better understanding of each other. Why not host a virtual or physical iftar and let people share their lives with co-workers?

Are you interested in this topic? Read Ramadan – An opportunity for understanding and inclusion