I entered the workforce full time in 2020, a time when varying levels of obligatory social distance instilled a craving in many of us to find connections and meaningful workplace relationships. My role as LINC’s DEI program manager situates me to build relationships and bridges between communities, values, and goals for collective success and wellbeing. Focusing on building relationships in the workplace promotes authenticity, transparency, and open communication amongst team members.
LINC has been participating in the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation’s CORE Fellowship program the past 2 years. Through our work with the CORE Fellowship, we have chosen to reevaluate the resources and connections we recommend to newcomers to center equity in our services. We are working with local BIPOC business leaders and community partners to gain an understanding of the needs of employees in fostering inclusive workplaces and easing the transition to the Lehigh Valley.
We want to understand how to best serve those from marginalized backgrounds who make the move to the Lehigh Valley. To get started, myself and our Community Transition team, sat down with Murtaza Jaffer, Partner at EBC Printing & Signs, and LINC DEI Council member to learn how we can promote and develop faith-friendly workplaces in the Lehigh Valley to support our Muslim identifying colleagues.
Here is what we learned:
Recognize and respect Islamic Holy days and Islamic Holidays celebrated throughout the year.
Fridays are the Islamic holy day requiring extra prayer and intentionality of those practicing, often attending a mosque in person is encouraged. Consider offering flextime to accommodate daily afternoon prayer and time to attend the mosque on Friday. This is a great way employers can honor the needs of your Muslim employees.
The holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, is a month of obligatory, intentional fasting from sunrise to sunset for all Muslim people. This year, Ramadan falls between March 10, 2024, to April 8, 2024. Being cognizant of Ramadan traditions and respecting your Muslim colleagues fasting during this time by avoiding meetings and/or events centered around food/drink between sunrise and sunset is a great way to cultivate a workplace culture of inclusion.
Allow for flexibility in schedule to encourage and respect daily prayer routine.
In Islam prayer is encouraged 5 times daily for about 15 minutes each. Time of prayer is based on the position of the sun so it can vary from day to day. Be sure to provide an appropriate and dedicated space for prayer. Be mindful of what goes into the designated space and how much space is available. In Islamic tradition prayer should the person praying should face Mecca (southeast from PA). Many employers provide a way to identify the proper direction to face such as a compass available in the space, an online tool such as Google’s Qibla Finder, or simply decorative letters on the walls to indicate direction: N-S-E-W.
Although these recommendations specifically have a positive impact for Muslim employees, a wellness space can be used for prayer and meditation for employees of any faith tradition. You can learn more about setting up an appropriate and effective prayer/wellness space here.
Promote interfaith education in the workplace for all employees through workshops, seminars, or events.
Support Muslim employees by covering topics including halal friendly food, and the history and intention of the Hijab. Encourage Muslim employees to share their traditions etc. and how up, authentically in the workplace. A great place to get started is to focus on fostering an environment of psychological safety to ensure your employees feel safe to bring their full authentic selves to the office. Learn more here on promoting psychological safety in the workplace.
We are honored for the opportunity to gather in community with members of diverse backgrounds and learn and share experiences. This initial meeting is just the beginning step for LINC as we continue a journey of relationship building, to understanding and provide secure and welcoming services to all our clients. LINC is planning a community gathering to continue this work and learn from Lehigh Valley community members. If you are interested in getting involved or learning more, please reach out to the LINC team.
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Special thanks to Murtaza Jaffer, Mustafa Jaffer, and Amir Famili for your support, guidance, and openness.