Religion in the workplace

whats gender?

Are you assuming gender?

Ramadan in Iceland/Greenland in the summer can last for 22 hours. Going that long without food and water is a challenge for many!

I understand your logic about counter-productivity but the reverse logic also works ie it's precisely because Islamophobia is rife at the moment that extreme views need tempering. It must be very difficult as a Muslim to know there are people around you who might be voicing these views - cousin marriage, rape gangs, small boat benefit claimants, colonisers, the great replacement theory etc. Some of these things are rooted in fact and we undoubtedly have a problem with political Islam in the west, but anything that leads to people being able to distinguish between the extreme minority and the moderate majority is to be welcomed.

Many years ago I was told about an conference to discuss Islam in the Nordic nations. It had to be abandoned after the first day as it was being held in Ramadan and there was no sunset for a few months which some visitors from the Middle East could not endure.

I was told this by a muslim friend who may - or may not - have had a tongue in cheek.

I honestly think that this kind of action on the part of employers 'trying to be kind' is counter-productive, especially in today's climate. As is demonstrated on this thread, it leads to resentment, and it isn't needed in the first place.

Having worked for several decades in a Muslim area and with Muslim colleagues, Ramadan was never mentioned by management, and my colleagues just got on with their fasting as they chose.
Birthdays still happened. My Muslim colleagues would take a slice of cake home for later. Those on dinner duties at school, sat with the children as they always did. It was part of the challenge of fasting, and they welcomed it. The more the challenge the more personally effective the fast, to them.

My Muslim Uber driver the other day was talking about this (he picked me up from a cookery class so we'd been talking about food). He said that the hardest Ramadan he had was when he worked in a fast food restaurant, and it was when Ramadan was at a different time if year with longer daylight hours. But he said that it made his fast all the more valuable. This year he has set out to deliberately make his Ramadan more challenging by only having five dates and a glass of milk each morning before his fast starts.

So no, Muslims do not, in general, want us to make their fast easier for them.

Have you or anyone you know received 'a bollocking' for carrying on as normal?

No one tried to impose their faith on me (I have no religion) or to tell me what I could do or not do.
But I guess if you are the type that agrees with the Daily Mail or Farage you are going to go out of your way to get offended...

This is a lazy stereotype since a number of posters have suggested what people should and should not do. Also, having read your disparaging summary of the Catholic faith on another thread I wonder how you interacted with Catholic colleagues? Perhaps you think Catholics are not easily offended.

Tempted to report this for racism. But better if it stays. People need to know what horrible things are being posted.

I would carry on as normal and not start asking questions or being supportive of people who want to not eat during daylight hours.

I have already commented on this thread but I wonder how many of the people who are jumping in and are so eager to side with the OP actually have Muslim colleagues.

I worked in London for 30 years with very diverse teams and had zero issues with Muslim, Jewish, or Catholic colleagues. No one tried to impose their faith on me (I have no religion) or to tell me what I could do or not do. My workplaces have always promoted awareness of diversity but this has had zero negative impact on me.

But I guess if you are the type that agrees with the Daily Mail or Farage you are going to go out of your way to get offended...

Why? What might you do that would call down a bollocking?

Did you quote the wrong poster? Because your question has absolutely nothing to do with my post, but I'll answer anyway.

I emigrated to a Christian country (UK) for the reasons you state; because I knew it would align with my beliefs, and it was also a consideration for my Italian husband (also a practicing Catholic). I would not have emigrated to a country with vastly different beliefs and expected their citizens, politicians and institutions to accommodate my beliefs, and I wouldn't expect unquestioning compassion from my colleagues.

And finally, I wouldn't criticise the indigenous people of my adopted country if they dared to question my beliefs, I wouldn't call them names and expect an established system for their discipline if they found my beliefs to be out of kilter with their own established culture.

If your self imposed daily structure means that you’re not work fit- why impose this on others? annual leave!

One poster I quoted framed her post as though she was speaking as a manager.

Another poster up thread stated that her workplace did not serve food during meetings during Ramadan, implying that they did during other times of the year.

I would choose to ignore the email, and probably get a right bollocking from people who think I should modify my behaviour.

Just “words on a screen” 😬

and yet her you are berating everyone for their “words on a screen”.

cognitive dissonance is quite the wrestling match.

But not the employer? Simply MN suggesting what they would do?

JustSawJohnny
Nobody is asking them to stop

Clearly several posters have suggested just that:

The birthday colleague could buy their colleagues a drink after work [instead] or a nice coffee, it doesn’t have to be cake [in the office]

I would avoid eating or, especially drinking in front of a colleague who was fasting. If possible, I would avoid scheduling events like parties during Ramadan.

Except it’s really not. It’s words on a screen. Is the employer penalising staff for not doing any of that?

So many turkeys voting for Christmas commenting on this thread

And could people remember that sometimes eating cake or a biscuit or chocolate is essential for those with T1 diabetes.