As an employer, you should ensure that you and your staff do not discriminate against a person based on their religion or beliefs. Religious and belief discrimination is unlawful in all aspects of employment, including from the moment you recruit staff to the moment you dismiss staff. Additionally, you must take all reasonable steps to ensure that others do not discriminate against people due to religion or belief, such as by harassment or victimisation. If you discriminate based on religion or belief, you could face a claim for discrimination at an employment tribunal. This article will explain key points you, as an employer, need to know about religious and belief discrimination in England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Religious or belief discrimination is when you treat a person less favourably based on their religion or belief. Religion means any type of religion, but also the absence of religion. Belief refers to a religious or philosophical belief and the absence of any belief. Religious or belief discrimination can occur between people of the same religion or where they both have no religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Religious discrimination may occur during employment concerning, for example:<\/p>\n \n
To ensure that you do not discriminate in employment based on religion or belief, you need to be clear on what counts as a religion. A religion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a person to have a religious belief, they hold a faith which affects how they live their life. For a person to have a philosophical belief, the belief should be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Religious or belief discrimination can arise in any of the following ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Direct discrimination<\/a> is where you intentionally or unintentionally treat another person less favourably based on their religion or belief. It can manifest as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indirect discrimination is where you intentionally, or more often than not unintentionally, place a group with a particular religion or belief at a disproportionate disadvantage<\/a> when you apply a policy or practice to a broader group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To prove that you are not discriminating in such instances, you have to justify it objectively. This means you must prove that your policy or practice is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harassment<\/a> is when a person receives unwanted conduct due to their religion or belief, which either:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Victimisation is where a person suffers a detriment because they have: <\/p>\n\n\n\nIndirect Discrimination <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Harassment <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Victimisation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n