Ask Gavin: How can I support my employee while they observe Ramadan?

This anonymous caller wanted to know how they could best support their employee while they observe Ramadan. So, they asked Gavin Scarr Hall, Peninsula’s Director of Health & Safety, for expert advice.

Here’s what they had to say…

Hi Gavin, I have an employee who will be observing Ramadan and fasting. They’ve let me know ahead of time and asked if I’m able to make reasonable adjustments for them during this period. I just wanted some advice on what I can do and also anything I’ll need to consider health & safety wise? As far as I’m aware they don’t have any health conditions.Anon

Gavin’s reply was…

Hi Anon,

During Ramadan, as I’m sure you’re already aware, your employee will be fasting from sunrise to sunset. So be aware that throughout that period, your employee may experience fatigue and low energy, which could have an impact on their ability to work.

But the best thing you can do as an employer is to be as supportive as you can.

It’s important that you help your employee to navigate work duties, while making sure their wellbeing is a priority.

“They’ve let me know ahead of time and asked if I’m able to make reasonable adjustments for them during this period. I just wanted some advice on what I can do”

When it comes to making reasonable adjustments, there are lots of things you can do here on a temporary basis.

One example of a reasonable adjustment you could make might be allowing your employee to be more flexible with their working hours. Or, you might allow them to work from home some days if they usually come into work every day.

Having the option to work flexibly may help your employee to better manage their work, while giving them enough time to also rest and observe religious activities.

There’s definitely not a one size fits all approach when it comes to adjustments for your employee. So, it’s important to be mindful and considerate. Talk to your employee about what they need from you and how you can accommodate their requests.

You may want to consider any structural changes to your employee’s working day. For example, it may be a good idea to schedule meetings and more strenuous tasks in for the morning when your employee may have more energy. Again, talk to your employee to see how they feel and whether they could benefit from changes to their workload or tasks.

Another thing I’ll mention is if your employee has asked for time off, you could also consider relaxing your rules around annual leave. Being a bit more lenient with leave requests can help make sure your employee has enough time to rest, observe religious duties and to celebrate Eid.

“…also anything I’ll need to consider health & safety wise?”

While your employee will not be eating or drinking during the day, I do want to dispel any myths around there being a heightened health risk to people who are fasting.

Most healthy people won’t need health & safety involvement while they’re fasting. If your employee carries out a lot of heavy manual work and they’re exposed to physical hazards in their work environment, that’s when you may need to consider certain risks.

If your worker’s job is quite strenuous or they work in an environment where they’re exposed to high temperatures, they may be at a higher risk of experiencing dehydration and fatigue. And if your employee is dehydrated and tired, this could potentially open up risks to themselves and others.

So if you’ve identified a certain health risk to your employee and they are fasting, that’s when you may have an obligation to carry out a wellbeing assessment. If fasting could pose a significant risk to your worker’s health, then making reasonable adjustments to remove or reduce this risk would be the next step.

For example, if your employee does operate machinery as part of their role, you may want to look at either changing their work responsibilities temporarily or putting in time for more rest breaks.

If your employee is a lone worker, it may also be worth considering whether it’s best to have some level of supervision or to buddy them up with a colleague for certain tasks.

“As far as I’m aware they don’t have any health conditions”

If your employee hasn’t made you aware of any health conditions, then I would say there aren’t any major concerns here unless you’ve identified a risk like I mentioned above.

People who fall into a certain vulnerable group may be at higher risk of running into health problems if they fast. That’s if perhaps they’re young, pregnant, diabetic or have a chronic illness. So if someone is potentially vulnerable and they plan on fasting, they should consult a doctor first for expert advice, as well as get advice on how this could affect them in work.

All in all, there are plenty of steps you can take to support your employee while they observe Ramadan and it’s important to keep checking in regularly. As long as you make sure to consider the above, you’ve taken the right steps.

And if you have any concerns or issues about your employee and would like some more advice, just give us a call and we’d be happy to help.

All the best,

Gavin