Leave, Holidays
& The Eid Problem
"I might need Tuesday off. Or Wednesday. I'll let you know Monday night." Handling lunar uncertainty in a solar calendar world.
Annual Leave &
Religious Holidays
Why Muslim holidays "move" every year, why dates change at the last minute, and how to write a leave policy that handles uncertainty responsibly.
Predict the Unpredictable
Need to know when Eid is likely to fall in 2026? Or 2027? Our Forecaster estimates the "High Probability" windows for major festivals.
Launch Festival Forecaster →
The most frustrating conversation for a Line Manager:
"Can I book off Eid?"
"Sure, what date is it?"
"I don't know yet. Maybe Tuesday, maybe Wednesday."
In a corporate world of Gantt charts and deadlines, this ambiguity feels like disorganisation. It isn't. It's astronomy.
1. The "Moon Sighting" Mechanism
The Islamic calendar is Lunar. A new month only begins when the new crescent moon is visibly sighted by the human eye.
- The Variable: Cloud cover, atmospheric conditions, and geography (sighting in Saudi Arabia vs UK) affect this.
- The Result: A holiday date cannot be 100% confirmed until the night before.
- The Impact: Your employee genuinely doesn't know if they need Tuesday or Wednesday off until Monday night.
HR Best Practice: "The Soft Booking"
Do not force staff to lock in a hard date. Instead, allow them to book a "Floating 2-Day Window". They commit to taking 1 day off within that window, and you commit to covering both possibilities until confirmed.
2. The Big Two: Eid al-Fitr & Eid al-Adha
Muslims have two major festivals.
Eid al-Fitr
"Festival of Breaking the Fast"
When: End of Ramadan.
Vibe: Joyous, family feasting, gifts.
Duration: 1-3 days requested.
Eid al-Adha
"Festival of Sacrifice"
When: Approx 2 months after Ramadan.
Vibe: Solemn, community charity, meat distribution.
Duration: 1-2 days requested.
3. Hajj: The Once-in-a-Lifetime Leave
Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca) is a mandatory pillar of Islam (if affordable). Unlike a holiday, this is a spiritual obligation.
- Duration: Usually requires 2-3 weeks of consecutive leave.
- Timing: Fixed Islamic date, but moves 10 days earlier each Gregorian year.
- The Ask: An employee may hoard their annual leave for 2 years to afford the time off.
- Policy Recommendation: Treat Hajj requests as "significant life events" (like a honeymoon or sabbatical). Prioritise approval where possible.
4. "Bank Holiday" Swaps
Christmas and Easter are statutory holidays in the UK. For a Muslim, sitting at home on Christmas Day (when everything is closed) wastes a day of annual leave.
The Progressive Policy: Allow staff to work on Christmas/Easter (if the office is open, or remotely) in exchange for days off during Eid. This is zero-cost to the business and high-value to the employee.
Start Forecasting
Don't get caught out by "Surprise Eid". Plan ahead with our 10-year forecaster.
Open Holiday Calendar2. Managing Competing Requests
If your entire Muslim workforce requests Eid off, you cannot shut down the factory. You need a fair rationing system.
- First-Come-First-Served: Legally robust, but can punish younger staff/new joiners.
- The Rotation: "If you had Eid al-Fitr (the small Eid) off, you must work Eid al-Adha (the big Eid)."
- The Christmas Swap: Encourage swapping shifts with Christian colleagues who want December 25th off. It's a win-win.
3. Unpaid vs Paid Leave
There is no automatic right to "religious leave" on top of standard holiday allowance.
- Staff must use their statutory annual leave.
- If they have exhausted their leave, granting unpaid leave is discretionary.
- Warning: Refusing unpaid leave for a religious festival without a strong business reason could be Indirect Discrimination.