Business & Money | Sunday 21 June, 2015 10:38 am |

The ‘Ramadan in the Middle East and North Africa Workplace’ poll, recently conducted by Bayt.com, the number one job site in the Middle East, has revealed that almost 95% of respondents in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) respect the spirit of the Holy Month of Ramadan, regardless of their religion.

Over the course of Ramadan, Muslims continue the normal routine of their life while maintaining a strict fast every day, from the break of dawn until sunset. For the majority (81.9%) of survey respondents in the MENA, Ramadan is a time for spirituality and good deeds, in line with the pious theme of the Holy Month. A small minority (3.6%) believe that it is a time for fun, friends and family gatherings, while 4% think that Ramadan is a time to rest due to less work.

Respondents said that their lives change in a number of ways during Ramadan. More than half are committed to more pious acts such as fasting, praying and reciting the Holy Qur’an. 14% said they are more involved in charitable activities and good deeds during the Holy Month, while 1 out of 10 say that they spend more on food and outings. 9.4% of MENA respondents spend more time with their family during Ramadan. On the other hand, 10.8% of respondents say that their life does not change at all during this period.

During the month of Ramadan, absenteeism in the workplace increases according to 58.8% of respondents, while 41.2% believe the opposite is true. In addition, 77.6% of MENA respondents believe that employees are less productive during Ramadan, with 35.9% believing it to a large extent. However, more than 2 out of 10 people surveyed say that employee productivity remains unchanged during this time.

Interestingly, almost half of those polled believe that job search activities among employees increase during Ramadan, and 16% also believe that hiring in their company increases as well. However, more than 4 out of 10 respondents believe that hiring doesn’t increase at all, or that hiring practices don’t change at all during this period.

“During Ramadan, the MENA workplace changes quite substantially, and with the Holy Month predicted to begin on or around June 18, it is important for employers, employees and job seekers to have a clear view of what to expect during this time. Another trend we noticed is that almost half the people polled say that job search activities increase during this time. Job seekers can stay up-to-date with the latest jobs by leveraging handy technology, such as the Bayt.com mobile app, to set up job alerts and get notifications about jobs suited for their profile.” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com. “Ramadan is a month of spirituality, family and blessings revolved around practicing good deeds, charity and kindness, and at Bayt.com we would like to wish everyone in the MENA region a Ramadan Kareem.”

Data for the Bayt.com ‘Ramadan in the MENA Workplace’ poll was collected online from May 7 to June 1, 2015, with 3,687 respondents from across the MENA region.