Many have written about working hours during Ramadan. They have expressed a variety of opinions and also made suggestions, especially for schools and government offices. In Ramadan, government offices and schools usually open at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. with students going home an hour earlier.
The problem is that most employees and students, young children included, and their teachers stay awake the whole night and only sleep after the dawn prayers. With only a few hours to sleep before going to work or class, both employees and students spend five hours struggling to stay awake.
The effect is devastating for students whose attention drops to its lowest level for the year. Instead of focusing on doing their homework after school, students go to sleep to compensate for the lost hours and often sleep until almost sunset when they are woken up for iftar.
Office employees’ performance rates drop by more than half during the fasting month. Less than two hours into work, they leave their desks to prepare for midday prayers; they take a long time to perform their ablutions and an equally long time to perform the prayers. Before leaving the office, they do the same thing again for the afternoon prayer. It becomes immediately apparent that employees spend very little time actually doing what they should do. The result is lower productivity, needless delays and public frustration.
I discussed this matter with an official at the Riyadh Passports Department. I asked him point-blank why the department is so inefficient in Ramadan. He told me the reason was the time staff spend preparing for prayers. People leave their desks long before the prayer call, using the pretext of performing ablutions and getting ready for the prayer. Many, he explained, spend nearly a full hour in the rituals associated with the noon prayer and a similar amount of time on the afternoon prayer.
In fact, only 15 minutes are required to perform the prayers. My suggestion is that work in Ramadan begin at 6 in the morning and end at midday. This would force employees to go to sleep early, get enough sleep and come to work refreshed. They would thus make use of the early morning hours and be at home in time to prepare themselves for prayer.
