Open a laundry mart 3months ago with just 2 staff members. Despite our owning a big washing machine the laundry man's function is ironing,removing tough stains and operating the machine. The 2nd employee's task is to go deliver those clothes to clients,compliment the laundry man's job of manual removal of tough stains and reception work.

On tuesday evening,on my return for work took a detour to my shop only to see lots of clothes piled up unwashed!!the laundry man was trying frantically to remove the tough stains manually meanwhile the lady just sat down by the reception desk doing nothing!!

When I asked her why she was working or even gone to deliver clothes to clients her reply was...."i'm fasting"
In fury, I simply got my hands dirty and started doing the cleaning and delivery before I headed back home.

Pls NLders how do i deal with this? I feel i'm being "religiously backmailed" How should employers handle muslim employees who are fasting?

nedu2000:
How should employers handle muslim employees who are fasting?

treat them with care and love. Support them in times they need your support. Dont make it seem it is all about you and your business; put yourself in their shoe.
Since you have found the reason for her being slow in the discharge of her duty to be that she's fasting, just find a way to assist her or get someone to do that just for the month of fasting.
May God bless your business.

if she cant work fire her!! fasting is not an excuse for laziness. u r the Boss!!!

Caseless:
treat them with care and love. Support them in times they need your support. Dont make it seem it is all about you and your business; put yourself in their shoe.
Since you have found the reason for her being slow in the discharge of her duty to be that she's fasting, just find a way to assist her or get someone to do that just for the month of fasting.
May God bless your business.

amen but for a whole month?hope she supports me too,when I don't pay her month end but if I don't do that it'll seem i'm

Patented:
if she cant work fire her!! fasting is not an excuse for laziness. u r the Boss!!!

that's how one of my dad's employee,a christian,does the 'i've got men's fellowship by 8am' stunt

At normal times, how many hours per day does she work?
The best you can do is to reduce the hours she normally put in. If, for instance, she usually works from 10am till 6pm, have her resume by 10, and close by 2 or 3pm. Reduce her workload, but ensure that her duties for the allotted time are clearly mapped out for her.
If she still fails to perform, then she is being mischievous.

I have resided in Islamic countries during ramadan. What the government does is shorten the work time for businesses and companies by 2 or 3 hours during this period. BUT EVERYONE STILL WORK. BUSINESSES AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES DO NOT GRIND TO A HALT BECAUSE OF RAMADAN. People just take it easy because energy level is low.

The ball is in your court, bro. It's your business, and you have to decide how you want it to be run.

Fasting shldnt b an excuse for her not to work. Wot if she was working in a bank or a big multinational company? Will she stop work bc she s fasting. Discuss wt her. Tell her this isnt what u bargained for. If she s nt ready to work, relieve her of her duties and employ sm1 else.

Humm, This is a matter you need to handle with care, for me, I support that fasting is not reason for laziness, but I believe you can do something to solve this issue, like: start talking to this person as a boss and let her understand how important her job is. The question is, Is she lazy before fasting? Can she manage fasting and work at the same time? Can her job be reduced a bit? Can you bargain with her for this period of fasting? like: Can you work half-day and get half month salary then you get someone to complement her rest of day work then you pay the person too same half month salary and some other this you can think about, just to get your problem solve and beware Nigeria, Africans generally always have issues with each other when its comes to issue of religion, like My Boss is a Christian and He is Victimizing Me! something like that. May God help you, help your business and grant you wisdom to solve this.

olatunjimohamme:
Humm, This is a matter you need to handle with care, for me, I support that fasting is not reason for laziness, but I believe you can do something to solve this issue, like: start talking to this person as a boss and let her understand how important her job is. The question is, Is she lazy before fasting? Can she manage fasting and work at the same time? Can her job be reduced a bit? Can you bargain with her for this period of fasting? like: Can you work half-day and get half month salary then you get someone to complement her rest of day work then you pay the person too same half month salary and some other this you can think about, just to get your problem solve and beware Nigeria, Africans generally always have issues with each other when its comes to issue of religion, like My Boss is a Christian and He is Victimizing Me! something like that. May God help you, help your business and grant you wisdom to solve this.

the half-day/half month salary option seems cool but she'll likely not cooperate,how much work would she be able to sincerely put together in about 4hrs,not as if she's always been a hard worker prior....i really don't know what to do with this lady,and this is when God don bless us with a good number of clients this month

Was the fasting issue discussed prior to her getting the job? Business is business.
For this fasting period, she should state her possible number of days, then you pay accordingly and get another pair of hand.
You may want to encourage her anyway, that is, if she was the industrious type prior to the fasting.

I'm aware that they eat to their neckful by 5:30am, and break fast by 6:00pm so where is the fasting . Sometimes, like yesterday, i forget to eat when i'm busy with work. I work for myself,anyway.

That's wrong.

In fact, I wouldn't recommend employing a young girl for such type /role of small business. A young boy would produce better results; perhaps you would have been rather more firm if she were a boy.

Please don't let that business fail; you already know the right thing to do.

the time is 3.23am una no dey slip?

since you said even without fasting the girl is kinda lazy so therefore, ask her if she will spare you this month and resume after fasting because her fasting shouldn't affect your business.

But if she insist she will work, maybe you can reduce her working time and see if there is different.

in my place of work, there is reduction in the time we work and our salary still remain the same.

ok

Wanna read comments...I don't want to be seen as being sentimental and antireligious.

Eleyi gidigan

Sack her or give her the month off and don't pay her..

GodMode:
Sack her or give her the month off and don't pay her..

young people it always either black or white!

I think that your employee is only been mischievous because she is not the fast or the last person to be fasting and I see no reason why she should abandon her duties because of that.


I usually dislike the way some people handle all this religious stuffs and I think its better you stamp your feet on ground and enforce discipline here unless she only exhibit such behavior around the time that fasting is expected to have been affecting her much which should be from 4pm upward.


Sit her down and let her know her action is affecting your business (without trying to be against her choice of faith) and map out away to make her efficient on the job especially before the critical hours and you reduce her working hours which should spur her to rise to the occasion but should that also fail to yield any positive result then be free to do whatever you like.

Caseless:
treat them with care and love. Support them in times they need your support. Dont make it seem it is all about you and your business; put yourself in their shoe.
Since you have found the reason for her being slow in the discharge of her duty to be that she's fasting, just find a way to assist her or get someone to do that just for the month of fasting.
May God bless your business.

You are a criminal

GodMode:
Sack her

just like that? I pray God should open your hrt . and your moniker says Godmode

If she can't work during fasting period, then she shouldn't be paid during fasting period... Simple

agarawu23:
just like that? I pray God should open your hrt . and your moniker says Godmode

I've edited my post... He should suspend her for the rest of her fasting duration if she knows she won't be productive.

I am the God of my life...

There is absolutely NO PLACE IN THE QURAN FROM THE 1ST TO THE LAST CHAPTER WHERE IT IS STATED THAT "WHEN YOU ARE FASTING DO NOT WORK" .

I really do not support when someone tries to blackmail others with their religion or tribal beliefs whether you be a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Ramakrishna or whatever you are.

The Only thing your employee can do is "plead" to demand for less physical work like running errands under the hot sun by delivering client's clothes in many different locations, not that she can't work at all because she is fasting.

If she insists she can't work during Ramadan, then give her an option of going for a "compulsory one month leave without pay" for the duration of Ramadan or resign.

These people give religions bad names. I call them hypocrites.

please.. how does fasting affect work?

i would say to reduce the work hours, depends if she was productive when she wasnt fasting.

or pay her according to the days she work.

whirlwind7:
At normal times, how many hours per day does she work?
The best you can do is to reduce the hours she normally put in. If, for instance, she usually works from 10am till 6pm, have her resume by 10, and close by 2 or 3pm. Reduce her workload, but ensure that her duties for the allotted time are clearly mapped out for her.
If she still fails to perform, then she is being mischievous.

I have resided in Islamic countries during ramadan. What the government does is shorten the work time for businesses and companies by 2 or 3 hours during this period. BUT EVERYONE STILL WORK. BUSINESSES AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES DO NOT GRIND TO A HALT BECAUSE OF RAMADAN. People just take it easy because energy level is low.

The ball is in your court, bro. It's your business, and you have to decide how you want it to be run.

You've said it all.

My dear,treat her with love.

She is a victim of circumstance.

It could be anybody.

I'm a Christian,God will not forget the labour of your love.

kindly fire her with a month's pay.

Discuss the issue with her? Try and know her preferences and see if both of you can reach a compromise. Laziness is not acceptable tho... just really one of those complicated things.

That's the height of incompetence and it's not an excuse whatsoever; her religion is her personal belief she ought not to be forcing it on other people...I say fire her asap