You are protected if someone discriminates against you because they think you are a certain religion, when you are not. For example, it's against the law for someone to discriminate against you for wearing a headscarf because they think you are a Muslim, even if you are not actually Muslim. Discrimination by association is also against the law.
For example, it is against the law to refuse to let you into a restaurant because of the religion of someone who is with you. It is discrimination to treat you unfairly compared to someone else, because of your religion or belief. This is called direct discrimination and is illegal.
Examples include:. You may be able to make a complaint if you have suffered direct discrimination because of your religion or belief. For more information about direct discrimination, see Direct discrimination. It is also illegal for someone to have a rule, policy or practice which someone of a particular religion or belief is less likely to be able to meet than other people and this places them at a disadvantage. This is called indirect discrimination. If you have suffered indirect discrimination because of your religion or belief, you may be able to make a complaint about it.
However, if the person or organisation you are complaining about can show there are genuine reasons for the rule, policy or practice and that it has nothing to do with your religion or belief, this won't count as discrimination. For example, it might not be discrimination if your employers need you to dress in a particular way for health and safety reasons — such as a firefighter needing to wear a helmet in dangerous situations, even if it means removing a turban.
For more information about indirect discrimination, see Indirect discrimination. Discrimination can take the form of victimisation. This is where you're treated worse than someone else because you've complained or taken legal action about religious discrimination. It is also victimisation if you're treated unfairly because you've supported someone else taking action, for example, if you act as a witness in someone else's discrimination case. For more information about victimisation, see Victimisation.
It's a criminal offence to attack you because of your religion or belief, or because of your lack of religion. This includes both physical and verbal abuse. Someone is also committing a criminal offence if they stir up hatred of a particular religious group. For example, if they publish or distribute racist information or information designed to stir up religious hatred.
If one of these criminal offences is committed against you or your family, you should report it to the police. For more information about crimes involving physical and verbal abuse because of your religion, see Racially and religiously motivated attacks.
For more information about Hate crime see Hate crime. Before you take any action, you should check if your problem at work is discrimination. If you experience discrimination at work because of your religion or belief, you may be able to make a complaint.
This includes raising a grievance with your employer or making a claim to an employment tribunal. However, in some circumstances, it might be possible for your employer to show that there were genuine business, or health and safety reasons for the way you have been treated which have nothing to do with your religion or belief.
If this is the case, it won't count as discrimination. I'm Jewish and need to take Friday afternoons off work in winter to get home before dark and prepare for the Sabbath. At the moment, my boss is happy to let me do this and make up the time during the rest of the week.
However, he is thinking of introducing a new shift pattern, which means I will not be able to do this any more. Can he do this? It is against the law to discriminate against a worker because of their religion or belief. So, if your employer is introducing a new shift pattern which will be difficult for you because of your religion, it may be that you are the victim of discrimination because of religion.
Your employer would have to justify why it is essential for you to work on Friday afternoons. He must be able to show that he has tried to meet your needs but that for business reasons you still need to work on Friday afternoons.
Otherwise, his behaviour towards you may count as discrimination because of your religion. Victimisation happens when you are treated worse than someone else at work because you've complained, or taken legal action, about religious discrimination. It is also victimisation if you are treated unfairly because you've supported someone else taking action, for example, if you act as a witness in someone else's discrimination case.
People at work are always making fun of one of my colleagues who is a Jehovah's Witness and always reading the Bible in her coffee breaks. I tried to tell them to stop and now they are saying spiteful things about me too. My life at work has become a misery. Is there anything I can do? If the reason you are being victimised is because you complained about religious discrimination, this is against the law.
You should get expert advice about how to tackle the problem. It is against the law for someone to bully you at work because of your religion or belief. This is known as harassment. This applies not only to schedule changes or leave for religious observances, but also to such things as dress or grooming practices that an employee has for religious reasons. These might include, for example, wearing particular head coverings or other religious dress such as a Jewish yarmulke or a Muslim headscarf , or wearing certain hairstyles or facial hair such as Rastafarian dreadlocks or Sikh uncut hair and beard.
It also includes an employee's observance of a religious prohibition against wearing certain garments such as pants or miniskirts. When an employee or applicant needs a dress or grooming accommodation for religious reasons, he should notify the employer that he needs such an accommodation for religious reasons. If the employer reasonably needs more information, the employer and the employee should engage in an interactive process to discuss the request.
If it would not pose an undue hardship, the employer must grant the accommodation. A refusal could amount to discrimination if the employer cannot explain its reasons for the decision. You do not have to give information to your employer about your religion, but if you do, it will help them meet your needs.
Your employer should have policies and procedures in place to prevent religious discrimination occurring in the workplace. Unlawful discrimination of a worker because of their religion can include more than abusive comments or offensive jokes. Discrimination or bullying on religious grounds may cover workplace rules, or policies in employment, or a refusal to offer a person work because of their religion.
The behaviour complained about must occur because the claimant has a particular characteristic covered by the Equality Act, such as religion. Bullying at work can happen when someone intimidates or offends another. The behaviour can occur in front of co-workers, in writing, over the phone, or by email. You may be being bullied if you are:. A lot of people tolerate bullying and hope it will stop, but such behaviour often continues until someone takes action. You cannot make a legal claim directly about bullying under FETO in Northern Ireland or the Equality Act in Great Britain, but you may be protected if the behaviour amounts to harassment.
Any person experiencing unwanted conduct that occurs because of their religion in this example, but the same applies to all of the other protected characteristics, such as race might have grounds for making a complaint.
If you are affected by an intolerable workplace situation and might be thinking of resigning, you should speak to a UNISON rep without delay, and always before taking such action. If you think you are being bullied or discriminated against because of your religion, you should speak to someone about the issue.
What kinds of discriminatory practices are prohibited? For example, harassing an individual because she practices Buddhism. Characteristics: Characteristics, such as dress, associated with a particular religion.
Perception: Harassing or otherwise discriminating because of the perception or belief that a person is a member of a particular religious group whether or not that perception is correct. For example, firing a Sikh for wearing a turban because the supervisor thought he was Muslim. For example, giving an employee less desirable assignments because her husband is Catholic, or refusing to promote an employee because he attends a particular church. What is unlawful harassment based on religion?
Employers must provide a workplace that is free of unlawful harassment based on religion. Religious Discrimination FAQs.
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