Is it permissible for an employee to recite the Holy Quran during official working hours and at the expense of work?

It is not permissible to read the Qur’an at work if it affects the employee’s performance of their duties, because this violates the terms of the contract. This is based on the Almighty’s saying: (O you who have believed, fulfill [your] contracts) and the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: (Muslims are bound by their conditions). However, if reading does not affect the work, then there is no harm in it. Sheikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen issued a fatwa (definition) permitting an employee to read the Qur’an or anything beneficial as long as they are performing the work assigned to them, provided that they do not become drowsy for fear of falling asleep at work.