Supporting Muslim staff during Ramadan

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is an important time for Muslims and is a month-long celebration that takes place during the month when Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad began receiving revelations from the Quran. It involves Muslims fasting from dawn to sunset though there are some expectations to this. These include young children. pregnant or breastfeeding women, menstruating women, those who are ill or whose health would be impacted by fasting, and people travelling. Despite not fasting however they still observe Ramadan through prayer and other means.

As of the time of this being posted Ramadan is expected to take place between the 28th February to 30th March 2025

What can employers do?

Supporting Muslims at work is about showing understanding and how you can support them during this time. Employers should anticipate needing to give Muslim employees accommodations to their work schedule. Ensuring they meet before the month starts to discuss what reasonable adjustments they might need to make the time at work as smooth as possible.

Examples of such requests could be:

• Adjusted working hours to accommodate prayer times and iftar preparations.
• Remote work options.
• Temporary changes to responsibilities to ease the workload during this period.

Raising Awareness of Ramadan in the workplace

As Ramadan starts it’s only natural that colleagues might wish to offer their support. If you want to wish someone a good start of Ramadan, it is customary to say “Ramadan Mubarak”, which means “Blessed Ramadan” You can also say “Ramadan Kareem”, which translates as “Generous Ramadan”.

Making sure staff are considerate around the fact their colleagues are fasting will help in making Muslim members of staff feel supported during this time and while people will have different tolerances for questions most will be happy to discuss this time and what it means for them.

The end of Ramadan and being prepared for Eid

The last ten days of Ramadan are considered the most sacred of the month  The holiest night of Ramadan, known as Laylatul Qadr (The Night of Power) and the night that the holy Qur’an was first revealed, falls on one of the odd nights within this ten day period. Its exact date remains unknown, which is why these ten nights hold such significant weight. It is a time where observing Muslims intensify their worship efforts, as it is believed that Laylatul Qadr is greater than a thousand months of worship. 

Employers will want to plan for staff wishing to celebrate Eid. Eid ul-Fitr’ (the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast) is expected to fall on the 30th or 31st this year, employers are encouraged to discuss any adjustments staff might have and also to plan around Muslim staff taking the time off to celebrate. The the exact day Eid falls on is confirmed closer to the end of Ramadan so be aware and considerate for staff requesting these changes at the last minute.. Please also note that the exact date can differ amongst the Muslim community so always check with your staff.

Finally some useful resources around Ramadan

For more we encourage you to check out Muslim Aid’s section on Ramadan which you can find by clicking here

NHS North East London has a guide around how to stay healthy during the fasting period which you can find by clicking here

The Mental Health foundation has a guide to help to look after your mental health during this time which you can find by clicking here

Mencap has an Easy Read explanation of Ramadan you can find by clicking here