10+ Ways Companies Are Supporting Muslim Employees at Work During Ramadan (and Beyond)
In 2022, Ramadan runs from April 2nd to May 1st. As one of the 5 pillars of Islam, Ramadan isn’t just about fasting. It’s a time of spiritual discipline, prayer, charity, and introspection– and it’s important to keep in mind that people might celebrate Ramadan in different ways, namely by praying more frequently, engaging in charitable activities, and spending time with family and friends to celebrate.
So how can you show your Muslim employees and colleagues you support them during this time?
One easy way to get started is by using the greeting Ramadan Mubarak, which translates to “Blessed Ramadan.” It’s commonly used to send well wishes to Muslims observing Ramadan and the traditions that come with it.
But supporting Muslim employees and colleagues at work is not just thinking about what to say to someone celebrating Ramadan, it’s about and considering how you can better support them every day. We asked some of our partner companies to tell us how they're supporting Muslim employees during Ramadan and all year-round. Keep hearing to hear what they had to say in their own words.
BlackRock— host a virtual Eid celebration
“Last year, BlackRock's Asian & Middle Eastern Professionals (AMP) Network put together a virtual Eid celebration. This year, AMP is holding a virtual Spring Parade that will acknowledge the way different cultures celebrate Spring during the month of Ramadan. During the parade, colleagues will share photos, videos and educational presentations about Nowruz, which many of our Muslim colleagues also celebrate. AMP hopes to continue to provide opportunities for employees to gain cultural awareness and celebrate with one another during events like these throughout the year.”
Learn more about BlackRock here.
1Password— allow flexible working hours to accommodate fasting and prayer schedules
“As a remote-first company, 1Password has valued the importance of work-life balance since our inception in 2005. We want everyone's health, happiness, and fulfillment to be a top priority at work and at home. That means providing as much flexibility as possible for the wellbeing of all our employees, including our Muslim team members. Whether fasting, praying, or taking some time for introspection, we encourage our team to take the time they need to celebrate or practice during both Ramadan and all year round.”
Learn more about 1Password here.
Procore— learn how your team can join in on the celebration
“Ramadan (April 2-May 2) celebrates prayer and reflection among Muslims worldwide. Procore encourages all Procorians to bring their whole selves to work and make adjustments to support their family, faith, and community throughout the year. Tas Sachak shared how her Customer Support team supported her during Ramadan, including joining her to “open [her] fast” and ordering a prayer rug for Tas to use in-office. Tas explained, “these efforts to enhance inclusion helped me to feel respected even though I’m the only team member who practices Ramadan. My colleagues’ efforts to embrace and include me as an individual was extremely touching."
Learn more about Procore here.
Moody’s— create awareness around the significance of Ramadan
“Moody's recognizes and supports Muslim employees, and actively encourages flexibility to Muslim colleagues to choose their work hours during Ramadan. Moody’s Multicultural BRG promotes articles and newsletters that help create awareness around the practices and significance of this month and provides information for team members interacting with colleagues who observe Ramadan, regardless of their geographical location. Also, Moody’s is hosting two events; one will focus on Eid to mark the end of Ramadan and the other will highlight of the importance of Ramadan and its traditions.”
Learn more about Moody’s here.
Pluralsight— be mindful when scheduling meeting and setting project deadlines
“At Pluralsight, we celebrate the diversity that powers our teams. We recognize Ramadan as a time of hope and reflection for our Muslim team members. Our unlimited paid time-off policy is designed so that team members can take time away to rest and recharge, including any time needed for our Muslim team members around the world during the month of Ramadan. We also encourage our people leaders to provide flexibility in scheduling meetings, setting project deliverables, and other tasks as appropriate to support our Muslim team members from sunrise to sunset during this holy month.”
Learn more about Pluralsight here.
Cummins— set apart an in-office prayer space
“I have been at Cummins for about 12 years now based in Huddersfield UK. As a practicing Muslim every year I practice Ramadan (fast) which is 1 of the 5 pillars of Islam. Ramadan lasts for a whole month and during daylight hours practicing Muslims are not permitted to mainly eat or drink during this time. During the summer periods the fast can last for 21 hours in the UK.
Since the introduction of flexible working hours, I’ve been able to change my work patterns to help me work and rest during the month of Ramadan without affecting my work.
There is a multi-faith room on-site and this has helped me to pray my 5 daily prayers. The local diversity council have held Ramadan awareness events to talk with our colleagues for awareness and helped to celebrate Eid together”.
Malik, Customer & Product Quality leader, Cummins
Learn more about Cummins here.
SoftwareOne— launch an educational campaign with best practices to support Muslim colleagues and customers
“Inclusivity and belonging are a few of the cornerstones of the SoftwareONE experience. In order to further develop culturally proficient employees, SoftwareONE provides extensive learning opportunities to facilitate an accepting and informed workplace. For the upcoming Ramadan holy month, we launched an educational campaign highlighting best practices to support our Muslim colleagues and customers. Additionally, in partnership with our Muslim employees, we’ll host a roundtable discussion that encourages dialogue about Ramadan, its religious significance, history, and cultural practices. By utilizing multiple communication platforms, SoftwareONE works to ensure our Muslim employees feel celebrated, included, and supported throughout Ramadan and beyond. ”
Learn more about SoftwareOne here.
PagerDuty— allow employees to choose where they want to work: at home, in office, or hybrid
“At PagerDuty, we offer a flexible work model that allows employees to choose where they want to work - hybrid, office, or anywhere. This provides space for employees to observe cultural and religious practices in an atmosphere that is comfortable to them. Those working in the office are offered a supportive and inclusive workplace, allowing for private areas to have a moment of pause. We have prayer rooms in our Atlanta, San Francisco, and Toronto offices, as well as prayer mat storage. Additionally we offer generous paid time off and a floating holiday that can be taken to observe/celebrate holidays for various religions.”
Learn more about PagerDuty here.
Splunk— encourage a work / life blend to take time for suhur and ifter and rest when needed
“Splunk is a people-centric company, putting supportive measures in place so employees can bring their best and most authentic selves to work.
During the holy month of Ramadan (and year round) Splunkers are supported with a healthy, connected, flexible and sustainable work environment, encouraging time to recognize suhur and ifter.
Splunk supports diverse and flexible options and locations where we work with an emphasis on inclusion. It’s Splunk’s over 8,000 employees around the world whose values shape our ever evolving company culture.
If you would like to learn more about life at Splunk, please visit splunk.com/careers #WeAreSplunk ”
Learn more about Splunk here.
Workiva— encourage Muslim employees to connect and celebrate together
“Here at Workiva, our Asia-Pacific teams are putting together a virtual Eid celebration to commemorate the end of Ramadan. In this way, Workivians who celebrate will be able to connect with others across the world who also commemorate Ramadan and share their experiences. We also support our employees who celebrate by providing the flexibility to schedule their working hours and the possibility of remote work so they are able to accommodate the traditional Iftar meal and prayers after sunset. This also allows them to travel, gather with their loved ones, and attend celebrations.”
Learn more about Workiva here.
Equinix— celebrate spiritual diversity through learning sessions
"Equinix is committed to supporting our employees’ wellbeing, including their needs to worship in accordance with their faiths. Bolstered by our employee resource group, FaithConnect, whose mission is to inspire a culture of learning and respect for all faiths, non-faiths and worldviews in the workplace, we look to lay a foundation of belonging and holistic wellbeing at Equinix.
We know that by celebrating spiritual diversity, employees can bring their whole authentic self to work. Ramadan is just one example. Employees have access to quiet rooms for prayer, which is supportive every day, but certainly during Ramadan. We have hosted learning sessions open to everyone to hear more about this holiday—some employees even chose to join their fasting colleagues. In short, we encourage people of all beliefs to connect and better understand each other."
Learn more about Equinix here.
Elastic— encourage employees to come as they are
“At Elastic our "Source code" helps create a culture where individuals from all faiths have the freedom and flexibility to practice their religious beliefs, which is especially important to our Muslim employees during Ramadan.
One part of our source code is "Home, Dinner'' where we encourage employees to make their work timetable fit around their own needs such as Iftar. Another aspect of our Source Code is for people to come "As you are'' where we want Elasticians to bring their whole selves to work; as employees, parents, citizens of the world and as Muslims.”
Learn more about Elastic here.
