[Fredslist] From the American Staffing Association: Accommodating Muslim Employees During Ramadan

[Amparo Connors]

This may be of interest to many of you with employees. It's important to be aware of possible employee needs based on their tradition. Best regards; Amparo

Accommodating Muslim Employees During Ramadan
Society for Human Resource Management (07/02/13) Joan Mooney

Ramadan this year takes place from July 8 to Aug. 7, and Muslims apart from pregnant women and those sick or traveling are expected to fast from sunup to sundown. Some workers performing manual labor may ask for vacation time or occasional extra breaks to mitigate lower energy levels. Other workers may wish to reschedule meetings involving food. While not all accommodations are legally required, they demonstrate good business practices.

Light accommodations may include shifting a work schedule to aid a worker rising at 4:30 a.m., or reserving time and space for prayer. A common corporate mistake is adhering rigidly to scheduled break times, which may not mirror an employee's religious schedule. Ramadan ends with Eid-al-Fitr, which begins the evening of Aug. 7 and ends the evening of Aug. 8. Muslim workers may request the day off, and businesses are legally required to grant time off for religious holidays if requested, unless this would create an undue hardship for the employer or co-workers.


Amparo M Connors, President
Allied Personnel Services, Inc., Green Staff NY
NY City & State Certified M/WBE
718.261.7979  ~  516.622.2305  ~  212.451.0235
Corp HQ: 118-21 Queens Boulevard; Suite 310 Forest Hills NY 11375
amparo at alliedpersonnel.com<mailto:amparo at alliedpersonnel.com>                      www.alliedpersonnel.com<http://www.alliedpersonnel.com/>

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