How Do IT Companies Support Employees Observing Ramadan with Flexible Hours?

One of my employees is observing the month of Ramadan. He has requested to report to the office late by 2 hours during this month since he has to attend prayers in the evening. He works for our US office; hence, his work timings are as per the US timezone (6:30 pm to 3:30 am).

Handling Ramadan Observance in IT Companies

Please share insights about the general practices to handle such situations in IT companies.

Regards,
Gia

In our company, we work in a general shift, and our closing time is normally 6:30 pm. A few of our employees are granted permission to come in early by half an hour in the morning and leave by 6 pm. In your case, you cannot extend their working hours as the fasting period starts again at 4 am in the morning.

Please check with your management and grant this permission either without a deduction in salary or deduct these two hours for the whole month and adjust his salary accordingly. This is my personal opinion. Others can also share their views.

All HR-driven organizations that are sensitive to people will allow this permission without any deduction. This is done not only within India but also all over the world. Your US clients will also understand this, as they themselves allow Muslim employees some leverage to take time out for prayer and breaking their fast.

Regards,
Gia

Two hours per day for the whole month is equivalent to nearly 48 hours. How can it be fair to other workers if such employees are given time off without deduction? If people of other faiths say that they are celebrating a festival not declared a public holiday, will or should the organization oblige and sanction a paid holiday?

Regards

Coming two hours late is for prayers and breaking of the fast. You must ask the employee whether he is prepared to work for two extra hours, or else you have to deduct the amount from his pay.

I searched the web to see what the practice is in the UK, where over a million Muslims live. I found some good material at http://mcb.org.uk <link fixed>.

Time Off for Ramadan

Here is an extract about time off for Ramadan:

"An employee working in a small corner shop asks to take a late lunch break around sunset to break his fast. There are only two employees, and the time for breaking the fast coincides with the time when school children are coming out of school, and the shop is particularly busy. It may be reasonable to refuse the request if the shop cannot cope without both staff. However, it may not be reasonable for a supermarket with a large number of staff to refuse such a request."

If I am correct, a Muslim should not expect time off with pay, especially during Ramadan.

I would like to request you to review the government circular regarding working hours for the month of Ramadan. In our state, employees observing fasting can leave the office by 3:30 pm.

Thank you.

Please, if you can attach a copy of the circular (or furnish a link), it would be useful for all as a ready reference.

Warm regards.

This is indeed a sensitive issue, and I believe there can't be a one-size-fits-all solution crafted for this. Different firms have different workforces, cultures, and trends.

In my office, about a quarter of the staff is Muslim, and all are observing Ramadan. We work the normal shift, and our office hours are from 9:30 to 6:00. However, typically, these individuals stay back late until 7 as well in order to meet their sales targets (most of them are in the sales department). Even now, they wish to take an early leave of 30 minutes in addition to 30 minutes of free time during the day for Namaaz in the afternoon.

We have allowed them this time, knowing they put in extra effort on the other days and months.

Muslims in the Workplace: Addressing Prayer Requests

Thanks to Mr. Simhan for "Muslims in the Workplace." It is a useful resource. Another point is regarding the request to attend prayers during noon on Fridays. As a trainer for an organization with a Pan-India presence and responsibility for training staff, we often encounter situations where some participants (drawn from across India) express the need to attend Friday prayers at noon. This results in them missing one or two sessions (programs are typically for a week or less), causing them to miss out on certain topics. We have identified that there are indeed requests for these Friday prayers. We are currently seeking a viable solution.

Regards,
dasarp

There is flexibility allowed in every religious practice; it all depends on individuals whether they want to follow it in spirit or not. I asked a practicing Muslim what a Muslim living in the Arctic Zone should do, where the dawn to dusk is 24 hours per day, during Ramadan. He said they can follow the practices of nearby countries like Germany or France where it is shorter.

Thank you all for posting your inputs. It helped in arriving at a suitable decision, and my knowledge on this subject has also increased. We have given permission to our employee for late reporting.

Regards,
Gia