Having began last week, the holy month of Ramadan is now under way, with around three million UK Muslims expected to observe it.
The exact dates of Ramadan change every year, because Islam uses a lunar calendar and because lunar months are shorter than the solar months used elsewhere.
For Muslims who are fasting, this means when Ramadan falls during the summer months, Iftar (breaking of the fast) falls much later in the day - which in turn
Muslims observing Ramadan will also pray five times a day.
This, together with the physical and mental demands of fasting, mean employers need to be aware of how they can help their staff who are observing the holy month.
Speaking to MirrorOnline Jonathan Carr, partner at Lewis Silkin , reveals your rights when fasting and praying at work during Ramadan.
1. Are employees allowed to take time away from work to pray?
"Not allowing employees a reasonable opportunity to pray during the working day is likely to amount to unlawful discrimination.
"All workers are entitled to a break of at least 20 minutes anyway if their working day exceeds 6 hours.
"Employers should be flexible if the employee wants to take their break at a particular time in order to pray.
"If the employee wants to take additional prayer breaks, a common solution is to ask them to make up the time but if additional breaks are tolerated for smokers or others without needing to make up time, not exercising that discretion similarly for religious observance could land the employer on the wrong side of the law.
"In some circumstances the employer may be able to push back, for instance where the proposed frequency or timing of the prayer breaks would cause significant operational disruption on a production line."
2. Can employees ask employers for space to pray in the workplace or is this up to the employee?
"Employers are not obliged to provide rooms for prayer but where a quiet space is available and allowing this to be used for prayer does not cause problems for others, the employer should agree.
"Refusing such a request could amount to unlawful discrimination, particularly where an existing space is unused and could easily be designated for this purpose.
"Where the request would involve significant cost or inconvenience to others (for instance converting a bathroom or kitchen facility) the employer will obviously need to weigh up the competing considerations more carefully.
"If a space can be designated for quiet prayer it is important this is made available to employees of all religions though.
"Reserving the facility for one faith is likely to result in claims as much as unreasonably refusing a request in the first place."
3. Because fasting for long, warm days during Ramadan can impact on work, do workers have the right to request to work from home or start the day earlier?
"Yes, as with prayer opportunities and facilities, the key is for employers to offer some reasonable flexibility.
"If temporary changes to working hours or arrangements won’t cause significant problems then the employer should consider allowing them.
"It may also benefit the employer if this helps the employee to stay fresh and productive.
"Many employers would offer short term flexibility to help an employee recovering from injury or to deal with a short term childcare problem so refusing requests on religious grounds without good reason inevitably risks discrimination claims.
"Working from home or varying a start time may not be practicable in some roles and the employer reserves the right to say no if this is genuinely the case but it is always advisable to discuss the request properly with the employee and see what alternative solutions may be possible.
"Using holiday entitlement may sometimes be an option but employers should never force employees to take holiday for this purpose."