Ramadan 24X7 Compensation Practices help

[Tee Emm]

This is not exactly off-topic but may be just on the border of it. You've been warned. :)

How do you as line/HR/Admin managers deal with 24X7 staff (call centers, monitoring centers, NOC, security) during Ramadan where the work hours remain the same for these team members due to the nature of the work?

1. Restructure timings and 24X7 strengths w/o any financial compensation
2. Restructure timings and 24X7 strengths w/o any financial compensation but additional company provided meal facilities (where not already in place like Wateen/Mobilink etc).
   
3. Restructure timings and 24X7 strengths with financial compensation (ball park figure per 'suffering' person per day please)
4. Everything remains the same but additional hours compensated as over-time
   

Last time at my work place (an ISP), we opted for #3 above with the amount of seher/aftar fixed at Rs 150 per person per seher/aftar without any involvement of the admin to arrange for food as it was getting too complex and was beating the purpose.

I think it would be interesting to know what is the norm in the Teleco/ISP/Call Center industry on this interesting social aspect of our work.

-T

[Faisal Naik]

A very sensitive aspect indeed. During Ramazan these teams do get stretched. At one of the previous work places (ISPs), option 2 was practiced.

At the current job (telco), option 2 was practiced last year. The main problem with Sehr meals is the availability. Not many restaurants are available here in ISB that can provide such facilities. The couple of ones that are available bundle it with Iftar packages. Its one of the difficult jobs that NOC managers need to be tuned on.

--
FN

[Rizwan Sarwar]

Common sense says, to get someone to deliver Sehr meals on time in office, if they are paid by employees then money can be collected upfront and if they are paid by company then get the singoff from management. Not sure why it would be so difficult to sort it out......


riZ

[Afzal Anwar]

I myself am the victim of the situation where option # 3 was exercised. There is no compensation for loosing the blessed Sehr and Iftar time with family. Along with that you have two guards and a driver at times to open Iftar with you, so the bill always used to exceed form 150 (When we are crunching numbers here... its a fact!). Plus there is this killing time for the Taraveeh lovers to just sit around the watchdog and misses something you love dearly.

A suggestion would be to set some good hourly basis overtime so that the employee has enough in his kitty to feel satisfied in the end. Managers will get what they want and employee would feel his hard times earned :)

--
Afzal Anwar

[khalid seddiq]

well,we have

 

aftar arrangement for evening shift of CSD team with a 45 minute breake(as per my senior CSE) here in LDN.

[Mansoor Adenwala]

Over here I would suggest taking employee input would be necessary. Everyone has different situations. E.g. out of city workers and those from another religion would be ideal to keep in these timings. I know for a fact that when you’re living alone in a city, sehri and iftar are more of a chore than a blessing and having it spent at work might actually make it bearable.

 

My two cents.

 

--
-mansoor
Visit me @ http://www.wordofmansoor.com  

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Gandhi

[Sajjad Zaidi]

We went with No.2 at my last workplace (also an ISP). It was quite an acceptable option for all since the technical team was extra dedicated to their work (we often had to force them out of the NOC on chand raat :)).

Currently, the requirement is more for US peak timings so the 24x7 requirement is being modified for shorter hours with monetary compensation for those on duty around aftar and sehri hours. Telecommuting is also an option for those who can perform it effectively.

Sajjad
http://sajjadzaidi.com

[Kashif Aziz]

I believe there is no compensation for having Iftar with family and offering Taraweeh with Jamat. If I ever get into a situation like this, I will either take a month's leave or resign.

My personal two cents!

Kashif


www.apnijobs.com - Jobs in Pakistan and abroad

[Tee Emm]

Thanks everyone for responding. Somehow I was asking for current practices in the local market and experience earned therein. Opinions and 'what would I do' are good but were additional information.

Regards

--
Tariq Mustafa MSN:t...@hotmail.com | Follow me here: http://friendfeed.com/abunet
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Fran Lebowitz  - "Life is something to do when you can't get to sleep."

[Zaeem Arshad]

$Employer is offering Rs. 150/- per head present at sehri and iftari. No restructured timings for 24x7 operations. Makes sense for us and people are happy. It's upto $nocmonkey to decide how he or she wants to manage the meals.


--
Zaeem

[Majid Farid]

Does anyone know what Labour law of Pakistan states with regards to
Ramadan timing or for overtime? We used to have mix of option 2 & 3 at
my last work place.


/Majid

On Sep 1, 5:42 pm, "Zaeem Arshad" <zaeem.ars...@gmail.com> wrote:
> $Employer is offering Rs. 150/- per head present at sehri and iftari. No
> restructured timings for 24x7 operations. Makes sense for us and people are
> happy. It's upto $nocmonkey to decide how he or she wants to manage the
> meals.
>
> --
> Zaeem
>

[Babar]

Tariq - very relevant and useful. I am glad you posted this.