March 29, 2023

TORONTO – Khadija Waseem loves tea and coffee, so when she told colleagues she was savouring her last cup ahead of the start of Ramadan’s fasting period last week, they were quick to tease her.

“Everybody was joking, ‘Please, you’ve been drinking this in every meeting and we’ve had back-to-back meetings,”‘ said the Toronto-based strategy consultant at Monitor Deloitte.

But the moment turned “very magical” when a colleague, who Waseem said “did not fit the identity of what we think Muslims look like,” excitedly shared that they were marking Ramadan too and had given up coffee more than a week ago.

The encounter was a reminder of the camaraderie that can develop in an inclusive office, but Waseem and others know that feeling and the supportive atmosphere enabling such conversations is still lacking in many workplaces.

Although Islam was Canada’s second most practised religion in 2021 with 1.8 million Muslims in the country, many who practice the faith find they still face challenges in the workplace.

For some, there’s a lack of accommodation, support and mindfulness during Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar, when those fasting do not eat or drink anything between dawn and sunset.

Others face difficulties when stepping away for prayers five times a day, a cornerstone of the religion.

The workplace accommodations Muslims need vary based on how individuals practice Islam and treat fasting, said Waqqas Shafique, director of financial sustainability and fundraising at the Muslim Association of Canada.

However, flexibility and understanding are key for most.

“The vast majority are usually a little tired in the morning because the nights are a little longeror they might use their lunch hour to find a quiet space to take some rest,” he said.

However, remote and hybrid working arrangements spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic along with religious protections in the Canadian Human Rights Act have made it easier for Muslims and employers to “find the happy medium.”

Read the full article: Ramadan highlights how workplaces can better support Muslim employees – The Globe and Mail

By Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press