29% of employees surveyed believe that Ramadan actually has a positive impact on their workplace behavior.
A survey conducted by the employment agency Rekrute found that 52% of Moroccans believe that Ramadan has no impact on their professional lives.
“What does your daily work life look like during Ramadan?” and “How does Ramadan affect your productivity at work?” were some of the questions asked to the 1,945 Moroccan who took part in the survey.
The answers revealed that 57% of those surveyed do not notice a drop in productivity at the office during Ramadan, whereas 43% admitted that fasting does affect their productivity.
While one might assume the majority find Ramadan to be more difficult during the summer, those surveyed said the season in which the holy month falls makes no difference to productivity. 63% are indifferent, 22% say they are more productive if Ramadan falls in autumn or winter, while 15% actually feel more productive in the spring or summer.
The survey also looked at vacation days during Ramadan: 22% of employees take days off during Ramadan, compared to 78% who do not see any point in using their vacation days during Ramadan.
While many offices change their working hours during the holy month, the answers varied when the employees were asked what shift would be best. 53% answered they would prefer to start their day earlier at, around 8 am, in order to leave the office as early as possible, whereas 29% prefer to start later around 10am. 18% said they were indifferent to schedule changes.
After breaking the fast, 61% of employees do not continue working while 19% return to the office for a few hours and 20% continue their work from home.
Does Ramadan have a positive or negative effect on workplace productivity?
29% of employees surveyed believe that Ramadan actually has a positive impact on their workplace behavior, while 19% think it affects them negatively. 52% simply answered that Ramadan has no effect either way.
The study also found that many employees say they actively try to improve their overall habits and health during the month: 36% report that they eat lighter meals with less fat and sugar, 22% do more sports to prevent or reduce stress, and 18% reduce their coffee and cigarette consumption.
The study concluded by adding that all employs responded they are more calm and patient during the month of Ramadan, and display the values connected to Ramadan more, such as empathy and sharing, which in turn has a positive effect on the workplace, according to Rekrute.