According to a survey published by the BBC , as well as a study conducted by the Cairo Institute of Social Sciences, employee productivity during Ramazan decreases by 50%, thereby affecting organisational performance negatively. So no wonder that one of the biggest challenges for organisations during Ramazan is to maintain employee productivity despite reduce working hours and low energy levels.
Yet, Ramazan can be productive month if the following steps are adhered to by HR managers and employees:
1. Flexible timings. Organisation should allow employees to select their own timings , based on when they are at the most productive. This can either mean coming to work earlier, soon after sehri, or much later. This will ensure that the quality of work does not suffer.
2. Work from home. Employees can be given the option to work from home at least once or twice a week. However , this should be manged in a way that all keys employees from the same departments are not away from the office on the same day. Another option worth considering is allowing employees to leave the office early, and work from home for the remaining hours.
3. Say no to multitasking. Employees often multitask during Ramazan due to shorter working hours. However, this can result in wasting energy and time. It is recommended that each assignment is complete before moving on to the next one.
4. Plan and prioritise. Plan and prioritise your daily work list according to how m,uth focus and energy are required to complete each task. For example , tasks which require more energy and attention should be completed earlier in the morning (or when you are at your most productive), while tasks which require less focus should be left for later. Furthermore , meetings should be kept as short as possible as this will save a lot of time in the long-run.
By Zeeshan Lakhpaty The writer is a professional trainer and international speaker.