Our company has Muslim employees and we are contemplating providing them with flexible working hours this month. Is it customary for companies to permit flexitime during Ramadan?
Dear HR Community,
We have Muslim employees in our IT company and wish to consider flexible working hours for them this month.
We are thinking of allowing them to start work earlier if they wish to, work through their lunch hour, and end work earlier.
We wish to make reasonable adjustments for them as we value all our employees and respect their religious beliefs.
And since we do not have any HR policies, we hope to have some guidelines on flexible working hours in general.
Do companies here allow flexible working hours during Ramadan for their Muslim employees?
Thank you for your suggestions.
Please indicate your views using the form below.
Nola
Do companies here allow flexible working hours during Ramadan for their Muslim employees?
Yes: 44.44%
No: 31.48%
Case by case: 22.22%
Not Sure: 1.85%
Comments
We do allow early release for that day so they can go back to prepare and celebrate. – JW
We offer flexibility, they could choose to:
1. Work through lunch and end earlier.
2. The other group who works 12-hour workdays is given the flexibility to work shorter hours and is paid accordingly for the month of Ramadan.
3. No change in hours, they will continue to take their 1-hour break as they feel more productive this way. -AK
Still need to give them a break after 6 hours of continuous work even if they are not eating. – May
We have HR policies here for our Muslim employees. During Ramadan, they are allowed to work from home the whole month with half an hour rest (lunch break) and end work at 5 pm. – Elaine
All our employees are on flexible work arrangement and hence they can choose to start work early and end early. They need to work a minimum of 8 hours on a working day. – Linda
Yes, we do allow them to leave one hour earlier since they work through their lunch hour. However, this is on case to case basis depending on work exigencies. – Rabiah
We do allow the employee to leave 1 hour earlier as they do not really utilize their 1 hour lunch time during this fasting period. – Venny
This is something that should be revised or given approval. – Rina
Yes, but I don’t categorise them as flexitime arrangements, as it applies to all our Muslim colleagues, they will start and end early throughout the period. – Han
Covid has already proven that hybrid work arrangements are feasible. – Erin
It is case by case. depending on the portfolio of the person and the arrangement with the Supervisors and fellow teammates. – Fouzia
Our Company allows our Muslim colleagues to end work earlier if they wish to work through the lunch hour. – Cherie
We are a manufacturing plant, we afford for this to happen. – Florence
Background
Article 12 of the Constitution of Singapore prohibits discrimination on several grounds, including religion. It states that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection under the law without discrimination and that there shall be no discrimination against citizens of Singapore on the grounds of religion.
In addition, the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) also addresses religious harmony issues in the workplace and in society as a whole. The MRHA aims to promote religious harmony and prevent acts that could threaten religious harmony in Singapore. It includes provisions for dealing with acts that could cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will, or hostility between different religious groups, including in the workplace.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), provides guidance for employers in Singapore on how to prevent religious discrimination in the workplace. It explains the legal framework that prohibits religious discrimination, including the Employment Act, the Constitution of Singapore, and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, and provides examples of what constitutes religious discrimination. The article also offers practical tips for employers on how to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including providing flexible work arrangements for employees during religious festivals, allowing time off for religious observances, and providing prayer rooms or quiet spaces for employees to perform their religious practices.
