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Religion or belief discrimination

New and updated

  • Date:
    17 January 2020
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    Equality Act 2010: Which non-religious beliefs are protected?

    Ethical veganism, democratic socialism, humanism and a refusal to lie to customers are among the eclectic list of beliefs that have come before courts and tribunals as potential "philosophical beliefs" under equality legislation. We round up which non-religious beliefs have been found to be protected under the Equality Act 2010.

  • Date:
    28 October 2019
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    Climate change protests: Five concerns for employers

    Widespread environmental protests, such as the Extinction Rebellion, are having an increasing everyday impact on employers. We round up potential issues for HR professionals who are dealing with disruption to their employer's operations as a result of climate change protests.

  • Date:
    23 October 2019
    Type:
    Employment law cases

    Refusal to sign copyright agreement not due to philosophical belief

    In Gray v Mulberry Company (Design) Ltd, the Court of Appeal held that the employee's refusal to sign a copyright agreement was not due to any philosophical belief, but to her wish to achieve greater protection for her own creative work.

  • Date:
    13 September 2019
    Type:
    Employment law cases

    Vegetarianism not philosophical belief under Equality Act 2010, holds tribunal

    In Conisbee v Crossley Farms Ltd and others, an employment tribunal held that vegetarianism is not a "philosophical belief" under the Equality Act 2010. However, the tribunal suggested that veganism is more likely to be protected under the Act.

  • Date:
    6 August 2019
    Type:
    Employment law cases

    No religious discrimination where director suspended after publicly opposing same-sex adoption

    In Page v NHS Trust Development Authority, the Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld an employment tribunal decision that there was no religious discrimination where a non-executive director was suspended after voicing his opposition to same-sex couple adoption in the media.

  • Date:
    20 March 2019
    Type:
    Employment law cases

    Religious discrimination: Justifying shift rota requiring work on Sabbath

    In The City of Oxford Bus Services Ltd t/a Oxford Bus Company v Harvey, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that, when deciding if an employer's working arrangements are justified, the tribunal must focus on justifying the rule in the particular circumstances of the business, rather than the application of the rule to the individual.

  • Date:
    21 February 2019
    Type:
    Employment law cases

    Dismissal for "cohabitation outside marriage" is not religious discrimination, rules EAT

    In Gan Menachem Hendon Ltd v De Groen, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that a claim of direct religious discrimination cannot be sustained simply on the basis that an employer acted in the way it did because of its own religious beliefs.

  • Date:
    11 October 2018
    Type:
    Employment law cases

    No direct sexual orientation discrimination in Christian bakery's refusal to make "gay cake"

    In Lee v Ashers Baking Co Ltd and others, the Supreme Court held that a Christian bakery did not commit direct sexual orientation discrimination in the provision of goods and services when it refused to fulfil a cake order with a message in support of same-sex marriage.

  • Date:
    25 July 2018
    Type:
    Employment law cases

    EAT considers if belief in right of creative ownership is a philosophical belief

    In Gray v Mulberry Company (Design) Ltd, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that a tribunal had been entitled to conclude, on the particular facts, that a belief in the importance of copyright ownership lacked sufficient cogency to qualify as a philosophical belief.

  • Date:
    17 May 2018
    Type:
    Employment law cases

    EAT confirms importance of "context" in harassment cases

    In Bakkali v Greater Manchester Buses (South) Ltd t/a Stage Coach Manchester, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that asking a Muslim employee whether or not he supported IS did not amount to harassment because, given the context, the offending comment was not "related to" his religious belief or race.

About this topic

HR and legal information and guidance relating to religion or belief discrimination.