The Bayt.com ‘Ramadan in the MENA Workplace’ poll, recently conducted by Bayt.com, the region’s number one job site, shows that more than80% of the working population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) believe that Ramadan is a month that lifts morale at work.44.5% say that employer efficiency is not affected, and55% claim that important decisions and vital meetings are not postponed till the Holy Month is over.
Nine out of10 professionals (86.9%) say that the companies they work in have different official working hours during Ramadan when compared to the rest of the year. In terms of impact on performance,58% of professionals say that more working hours throughout the Holy Month would have a positive impact on their performance. The sentiment is mirrored when it comes to company performance as well, with42.1% agreeing that more working hours will have a positive impact on their company’s performance either, although41.3% “strongly agree” that more working hours would have a positive impact.
Business is slower in Ramadan, according to74.7% of respondents –46.4% of which strongly believe so. This could be attributed to the fact that69% of professionals claim that colleagues tend to take their holidays during the Holy Month. Another possible reason for lower productivity according to81.1% of poll respondents could be people staying up late. As a way to increase motivation,90% believe that special bonuses offered to employees in Ramadan will be greatly motivating.
Ramadan is seen as a time when there is a noticeable increase in the number of charitable activities, with87.8% stating that their company is more charitable during the Holy Month. It is also seen as a time of increased socialisation between colleagues, according to84.7%, although more than half (55.4%) of respondents claim that employees tend to become short-tempered during Ramadan. However,25.2% of respondents strongly disagree.
Eight out of10 (81.9%) respondents say that their consumption of goods and services increases during Ramadan – to a large extent, for50.3%. It is considered to be more difficult to find a job during Ramadan, with44.6% stating that it is harder to do so than at any other time of the year.31.9%, however, believe that it is easier.
“Ramadan is a month of beauty, mercy, and blessings, revolving around doing good deeds and practicing self-restraint,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com. “It’s also a challenging month, especially for professionals balancing the pressing demands of work and the extra demands of Ramadan; with43.1% of professionals saying that more working hours in Ramadan would have a positive impact on their performance. The trick to staying productive though is simple, and at Bayt.com, we advise that professionals take the time to set goals, in order to achieve their true Ramadan potential. Ultimately, the aim of Ramadan is giving and sharing, and that’s what should reflect in the workplace. ”
Data for the Bayt.com ‘Ramadan in the MENA workplace’ poll was collected online from20 May to24 June2014, with7,394 respondents from UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.