Recalibrating for Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan affects every aspect of a practicing Muslim’s personal and communal life. Business is no exception. And yet while companies and employers clearly need to adapt to accommodate the spiritual needs and obligations of their Muslim workforce, does this necessarily have to amount to a decrease in productivity? “Maintaining productivity during Ramadan really is the main challenge facing companies and employers,” asserts Ramez Shehadi, vice principal and partner at business Booz & Co. Indeed a 2011 report found that the economies of Muslim majority countries — the 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Conference — suffer approximately a 4 percent decrease in monthly gross domestic product for every hour deducted from the working day during the holy month. Shehadi highlights that a more fatigued workforce and a reduced overlap with global working days further compound this. The same report, however, also found that 77 percent