We saw two lovely posts on LinkedIn this week which perfectly demonstrate the increase in staff morale and wellbeing that can happen when a company takes steps to make all members of staff feel welcome and included.
The management at Elekta in Crawley, had already provided a multi-faith room for their employees. However there wasn't anywhere specific for the Muslim staff to perform the pre-prayer wudu ablution ritual.
One member of staff, Aisha Mehmood, describes how she used to perform wudu in the company shower facilities, but she frequently got her clothes wet, and the situation wasn't ideal. So she did her research, and asked the management whether it would be possible to install a WuduMate ablution facility.
One of the management team, Tim, was very receptive to the idea and glad to be made aware of the issue, and he immediately began working on a solution.
Within a few weeks, they had identified a suitable location and Tim had arranged for a WuduMate Classic to be installed within a proper secluded room. Tim and his team also made sure that the WuduMate was accessible to all employees, regardless of their mobility needs as close as possible to the prayer room.
Aisha was very grateful for this considerate intervention:
After a period of leave I was thrilled to be back in the office today to find that we have a brand-new WuduMate installed. This is a device that allows Muslims to safely and easily perform ablution for their daily prayers.
I'm so grateful to Tim Rose CIWFM and to everyone else who was involved in making this possible. The installation of the WuduMate is a huge step forward for diversity and inclusion at Elekta and I'm proud to work for a company that is committed to making everyone feel welcome.
This wouldn't have been possible without the encouragement and support of my fellow volunteers for the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging group at Elekta who have been paramount in fostering a more inclusive workplace.
Another Elekta employee, Mohid Waseem said:
I'm thrilled to share that Elekta Crawley has taken a significant step towards inclusivity by installing a WuduMate station. As a practicing Muslim, this makes me feel more included in the company, as it eliminates the awkwardness of performing pre-prayer ablution in public bathrooms.
Kudos to Aisha Mehmood and Tim Rose CIWFM for their dedication to making this happen. Their efforts reflect Elekta's commitment to an inclusive workplace that respects the diverse needs of its employees.
This change reaffirms my pride in being part of Elekta, where diversity and inclusion are celebrated.
If you would like more information about WuduMate appliances, or the best way to furnish and set out a multi-faith space, so it can be enjoyed by people of all faiths and none, please take a look at the following:
