Time off for Eid

Jarndyce

pink_princess wrote: »

Can I ask you when EID was/is this year? Every link I've found states it was the lwd of August, which backs up my employee, yet your post & the op suggest it hasn't happend yet?

Eid simply means festival. There are many festivals that are important to Muslims - some more than others. The one at the end of August 2011 (Eid Al Fitr - the end of Ramadan) and the one that falls on 7 November 2011 (Eid Al Adha - to celebrate the sacrifice of Abraham's son to God) are the most important to most Muslims in the UK.

Sambucus_Nigra

jamespir wrote: »

i think you should allow him the time off

Has the real James been abducted and a sensible one planted? That can be the only explanation. :eek:

fedster

I wonder if the negative comments on here would have been the same if the festival had been Diwali or some other festival.

scheming_gypsy

Jarndyce wrote: »

I am speechless at some of the responses on this thread.

Some of you need to take a long hard look at yourselves.

From the disrespectful and ignorant ("something in the Muslim calendar - I don't know what") to the racial stereotyping (he'll throw a sickie anyway so you might as welll give it to him) and from the "beware of the PC brigade" scaremongering to the dismissive "fire him" couldn't care less attitude. I'm appalled.

All of you - ask yourselves if you would have responded in the same way if this had been a non-Muslim asking for a couple of days off at short notice to attend a family gathering?

yes i would if they replied with

apples1 wrote: »

. His reply was ok but I will have to take it off.

Call centres are open 365 days including Christian, Pagan, Muslim, Hindu and Jewish, etc holidays. They don't close for them.
Christian's will be rota'ed in to work on Christmas, work isn't planned around the staff's religious holidays and beliefs and it isn't up to work to arrange shift swaps especially if the member of staff just turns around and says they'll be having the time off regardless.

Even though Eid isn't a set date it doesn't stop people informing HR / managers / whoever interviews them that they're a practising Muslim and Eid is important to them, and they'd like to be able to have that time off.

Pupnik

A month's notice seems perfectly reasonable to me, and surely there are people who would appreciate some extra hours in the run up to Christmas? I really don't see what the problem is- okay, you get everyone to agree to their rotas 6 weeks in advance- but 6 weeks is a long time!

Some of these replies make me very glad I don't work in an environent where people begrudge you requesting time off.

apples1

Jarndyce wrote: »

Some of you need to take a long hard look at yourselves.
All of you - ask yourselves if you would have responded in the same way if this had been a non-Muslim asking for a couple of days off at short notice to attend a family gathering?
Hang your heads in shame.

He has asked for 3 days off without ever before mentioning he would need time off for a religious event even if he didn't know exact date. When I said I would look at it but it would depend on whether his colleagues could swap/cover he said he'd need it off anyway. I have taken a long hard look at myself and see no fault with anything here other than that attitude. I bend over backwards to give staff a really good work/life balance. I am not clear about the issue with not knowing the date as the dates for Eid 2011, 2012 and beyond are all over the internet so whilst I am not claiming any knowledge of this religion or it's special dates it does seem that he would have had more than enough knowledge to mention time off required early Nov at either:
1) interview when he was asked if he had any pre-booked holiday
3)after job offer (when he was asked again if he had any pre-arranged hol)
3) when a draft rota was given out 10 days ago for all to check and come back with any queries etc within a four day window.
4) when final rota was published four days later to all staff by e mail and displayed hard copy at work.

If I am wrong and the date for Eid has just been announced in the last 24 hours then please let me know as I am happy to stand corrected and appreciate the education. I would still feel he could have warned me that this situation would occur.

I certainly don't begrudge people requesting time off. I begrudge them saying "I am going off no matter what"!

fedster

Apples can you post a link where it gives you the exact date for Eid?

I bet you cant find 1

jamespir

apples1 wrote: »

He has asked for 3 days off without ever before mentioning he would need time off for a religious event even if he didn't know exact date. When I said I would look at it but it would depend on whether his colleagues could swap/cover he said he'd need it off anyway. I have taken a long hard look at myself and see no fault with anything here other than that attitude. I bend over backwards to give staff a really good work/life balance. I am not clear about the issue with not knowing the date as the dates for Eid 2011, 2012 and beyond are all over the internet so whilst I am not claiming any knowledge of this religion or it's special dates it does seem that he would have had more than enough knowledge to mention time off required early Nov at either:
1) interview when he was asked if he had any pre-booked holiday
3)after job offer (when he was asked again if he had any pre-arranged hol)
3) when a draft rota was given out 10 days ago for all to check and come back with any queries etc within a four day window.
4) when final rota was published four days later to all staff by e mail and displayed hard copy at work.

If I am wrong and the date for Eid has just been announced in the last 24 hours then please let me know as I am happy to stand corrected and appreciate the education. I would still feel he could have warned me that this situation would occur.

what is your policy on asking for holiday for non religious employee's?

VfM4meplse

fedster wrote: »

You cannot pre book for Eid because the day it falls on is only decided a couple days before, i am lucky my Employer is somewhat more sympathetic than you guys, they appreciate my hard work and dont mind giving me days holiday on short notice, surely if an Employee works his socks off for you, you would show the same respect back and grant him the day of instead of showing the iron fist!!

Employers have to plan, why not show some initiative and arrange your own cover to make it easy for the employer to say yes rather than expecting it as a God-given right? Believe it or not the UK workforce does not revolve around any calender but the Julian. Everyone gets paid for what they do so don't expect any further privilege.

Jarndyce wrote: »

I am speechless at some of the responses on this thread.

Some of you need to take a long hard look at yourselves.

From the disrespectful and ignorant ("something in the Muslim calendar - I don't know what") to the racial stereotyping (he'll throw a sickie anyway so you might as welll give it to him) and from the "beware of the PC brigade" scaremongering to the dismissive "fire him" couldn't care less attitude. I'm appalled.

All of you - ask yourselves if you would have responded in the same way if this had been a non-Muslim asking for a couple of days off at short notice to attend a family gathering?

Hang your heads in shame.

Oh get off your fcuking high horse. :mad: For example, find me a Hindu that insists on taking Diwali off as a right. They don't, business continues as usual. Every Muslim is aware of Eid and if the new employee was asked the question at interview he should have had sufficient respect for his employer to answer truthfully. I don't know any religion that advocates outright lying.

LittleVoice

fedster wrote: »

Apples can you post a link where it gives you the exact date for Eid?

I bet you cant find 1

I'm not Apples but here's a link - http://www.godweb.org/IslamCalendar.htm .

Though I know most muslim would say you can't be 100% accurate until much nearer the time, that's one site which certainly purports to give a good idea of when the festivals are. Close enough to know roughly when you might want time off.