The Muslim holy month of fasting, Ramadan, is upon us. The period began on Sunday 5 May (in the UK) and will finish on Tuesday 4 June, dependent on moon sighting.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins with the appearance of the new moon and Muslims all over the world will abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset for a period of 29 to 30 days. Eid-ul Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, and the beginning of a new lunar month (Shawwal).
Ramadan is always on the same day in the Islamic Calendar but is different on the Gregorian calendar from year to year. This is because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, as such Ramadan moves approximately 11 days every year.
Our partners at Inclusive Employers look to build inclusive workplaces across public, private and third sectors. They have prepared a package on Ramadan to advise and guide managers of the importance of this holy month for Muslims and to help support colleagues during this long period of fasting. The materials in the package provide guidance on reasonable adjustments we can make to support our Muslim colleagues.
The materials from Inclusive Employers can be accessed here: Ramadan guidance, Ramadan to-do list, Ramadan signpost document and Ramadan quiz.
