Mar 2, 2021 11:38 PM
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/m...ays-report
INTRO: Employers and workers should be aware that handshakes, direct eye contact and socialising in the pub may be awkward for Muslim colleagues, says a report on Islamophobia produced by the Muslim Council of Britain. The organisation, an umbrella group representing more than 500 Muslim bodies in the UK, recommends that workplaces wanting to foster an inclusive environment should consider cultural differences.
Its report, Defining Islamophobia, published on Tuesday, suggests companies offer a range of social and team-building activities so Muslim employees can take part and the chances of building rapport among workers from different backgrounds increase.
Employers and staff should “be aware of cultural differences around handshaking and direct eye contact – placing of a hand on heart (instead of a handshake between genders) in greeting is practised in many Muslim communities and seen as a highly respectful act, as is Muslim men lowering their gaze when interacting with women, another marker of utmost respect and means of maintaining a modest disposition”.
The report urges employers to consider how dress codes and uniforms can incorporate headscarves, and whether flexitime can allow Muslim workers to take part in Friday prayers. It suggests companies look into whether halal food and vegetarian dishes are offered in canteens, and how to accommodate requests for leave for the Eid festivals and pilgrimages. Simple adaptations to the working day, such as changing meeting times or working through breaks, could help Muslim workers during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
Among other recommendations in the 150-page report are... (MORE - details)
INTRO: Employers and workers should be aware that handshakes, direct eye contact and socialising in the pub may be awkward for Muslim colleagues, says a report on Islamophobia produced by the Muslim Council of Britain. The organisation, an umbrella group representing more than 500 Muslim bodies in the UK, recommends that workplaces wanting to foster an inclusive environment should consider cultural differences.
Its report, Defining Islamophobia, published on Tuesday, suggests companies offer a range of social and team-building activities so Muslim employees can take part and the chances of building rapport among workers from different backgrounds increase.
Employers and staff should “be aware of cultural differences around handshaking and direct eye contact – placing of a hand on heart (instead of a handshake between genders) in greeting is practised in many Muslim communities and seen as a highly respectful act, as is Muslim men lowering their gaze when interacting with women, another marker of utmost respect and means of maintaining a modest disposition”.
The report urges employers to consider how dress codes and uniforms can incorporate headscarves, and whether flexitime can allow Muslim workers to take part in Friday prayers. It suggests companies look into whether halal food and vegetarian dishes are offered in canteens, and how to accommodate requests for leave for the Eid festivals and pilgrimages. Simple adaptations to the working day, such as changing meeting times or working through breaks, could help Muslim workers during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
Among other recommendations in the 150-page report are... (MORE - details)
