8 tips: Being a supportive colleague during Ramadan

by Brian Zebarth

Ramadan is a month of fasting, reflection and prayer for Muslims. During Ramadan Muslims abstain from both food and drink from dawn until sunset for either 29 or 30 days. In addition, they spend extra time reading the Quran, going to the masjid (mosque) and often will spend extra time praying during the night. 

Between fasting, being up late, and getting up very early to eat and drink a little before starting the fast, Ramadan is a challenging but rewarding time of year for Muslims. Brian Zebarth from our Technology team has 8 tips for being a supportive co-worker or manager to the Muslims you work with.

1. Ask questions. Most Muslims are happy to answer your questions about their religion and about Ramadan in particular. 
2. But don't ask why someone is not fasting. There are many reasons why we may not fast during Ramadan. It may be for just a day or two, or it might be for the whole month. Many of these reasons are very personal and can relate to pregnancy, illness, medical conditions so its best just to ignore it if you notice we aren't fasting.
3. Be encouraging. We always love to hear words of encouragement. Try greeting your Muslim co-workers with Ramadan Mubarak (blessed Ramadan). 
4. You don't need to worry about eating around us but maybe don't schedule team lunches or lunch meetings. We're used to smelling food and seeing people eat around us and actually food isn't the hardest part of fasting, so don't worry about it. Having a team lunch or a lunch meeting where food is a big part of it may be more difficult not due to the presence of food, but more because some people may feel left out.
5. Working extra hours, attending conferences or having to travel may be difficult during Ramadan. Since our evenings and nights often involve a lot of family time, time spent at the masjid (mosque), time in prayer and reflection and it's our only time to eat and drink, having to do anything that disrupts this time can be challenging. If at all possible avoid scheduling things that may require your Muslim co-workers to travel or work extra hours during Ramadan.
6. For managers, consider being flexible with schedules. Since many Muslims will want to participate in night prayers and need to get up extra early to eat and drink before starting the fast, consider allowing people to come in a little later or work through lunch in order to have a shorter work day. But not all Muslims will want to work through their lunch just because they aren't eating. Some may want to take that time to read the Quran, pray or even take a quick nap in their car. 
7. Anticipate the need for time off. Some people may want to take a little time off during Ramadan to rest or may want some time off near the end of Ramadan as these are the most holy days. Most Muslims will take a day or two after Ramadan off for Eid al Fitr. Since the day of Eid won't be known for sure until the day before, be flexible with the request as the exact day or days they want off may need to shift. 
8. Be aware that some Muslims who don't normally seem religious may be fasting and praying during the day during Ramadan. People may change their style of dress to be more modest during Ramadan or they may be looking for a quiet place to pray. While we appreciate questions about Islam in general, asking us about our personal reasons for not doing these things all year might be uncomfortable.

Ramadan Mubarak.

Brian Zebarth is a SharePoint Architect with Liberty Bank. He is also a member of Liberty Bank's 2021 President's Team.