Concerns raised as bosses aren’t ready for Ramadan

As 3% of British workers admit to being discriminated against due to their religion or beliefs, specialists are worried that not enough is being done by bosses to prepare for Ramadan, which begins this Friday.

The Muslim celebration includes the fasting of all food and drink during daylight hours, avoiding listening to music and praying regularly through the day. With the potential to affect meeting times, catering and even the general office environment, a report by ComRes believes businesses may not realise what is needed to accommodate and integrate Muslims into the workplace.

Studying faith in the British workplace for the first time, Belief at Work states that that many are already feeling uncomfortable about a lack of religious respect in the workplace, with some feeling uncomfortable or embarrassed to practice religion in front of hostile coworkers. Workplaces across the country do mostly address the requirements of their religious employees, but not all bosses are aware of the criteria needed to be met as part of the 2010 Equality Act. The study believes that this is an area of diversity that people do not embrace or notice unless it directly affects them.

“We found that people who say they attend a religious service at least once a month answered questions about workplace provisions very differently from everyone else,” said Katie Harrison, director of ComRes faith research centre. “This is clearly something which varies from person to person, as religious belief and practice is highly personal and everyone has their own way of engaging with their belief.”

The study also showed that too much preferential treatment can also make workers feel alienated and embarrassed, with ComRes urging for greater communication between employers and employees to ensure satisfaction.

“It’s important that employers don’t assume that every Muslim colleague will want to do exactly the same thing during Ramadan,” continued Harrison. “Each person will express their faith differently, and our research found that the most important thing is to create a culture where it’s okay to talk about these things, and to listen well.”