Religion or Belief

Did you know that in certain situations, such as at work, the law says that you can’t be treated less favourably, or put at a disadvantage, because of the religious belief, or philosophical belief you hold?  This is because Religion or Belief is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. Religion refers to any religion and includes a lack of religion. Belief refers to any religious or philosophical belief, including a lack of belief. To be included in the definition, the religion or belief that you hold should affect your life choices and/or the way you live your life.

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This unfair treatment is called discrimination. There are several types of discrimination, including direct and indirect discrimination.

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Direct discrimination is when you are treated less favourably because of your religion or belief.  For instance, refusal to allow observation of a Sabbath or religious holiday or imposing stricter promotion requirements for a person of a certain religion.

 

Indirect discrimination is when an arrangement that affects everyone has an unfair effect on some people because of their religion or belief. For instance, if a company has their all-staff meeting at a time when you observe prayer.

 

People can be treated differently because of their religion or belief where there is a good reason to do so, such as if a job in a prison requires a chaplain of a specific faith to serve the prisoners of that faith.

 

It’s important to know and understand equality law, but it can be complex.