What does Religion and Belief mean?
If you are a member of a religon, you are protected by law from discrimination because of your religion or belief if you:
- Belong to an organised religion such as Islam, Christianity or Judaism
- Have a profound belief which affects your way of life or view of the world, such as humanism
- Take part in collective worship
- Belong to a smaller religion or sect, such as Scientology or Rastafarianism
- Have no religion, for example, if you are an atheist (non-beliver of any religion
It's also against the law if there's a rule, policy or practice which, although not targeted at you personally, puts you at a disadvantage because of your religion or belief. Examples include:
- Refusing to allow you into an activity if you're wearing a hijab
- Requiring all your employees to dress in a particular way if this means they can’t wear an item of clothing they regard as part of their faith.
Sometimes, this type of discrimination is allowed, if there is a justifiable reason for it. For example, it might not be against the law if your employers require you to dress in a particular way for health and safety reasons, even though it might be against your religion.
What is Religious Discrimination?
It is discrimination to treat you worse than someone else, just because of your religion or belief. This is against the law. Examples include:
- Refusing to work alongside with you just because you're Jewish
- Refusing to join you when you eat at school just because you're Muslim
Dismissing you from a group activity because you're Rastafarian.
It's also against the law if there's a rule, policy or practice which, although not targeted at you personally, puts you at a disadvantage because of your religion or belief. Examples include:
- Refusing to allow you into an activity if you're wearing a hijab
- Requiring all your employees to dress in a particular way if this means they can’t wear an item of clothing they regard as part of their faith.
Sometimes, this type of discrimination is allowed, if there is a justifiable reason for it. For example, it might not be against the law if your employers require you to dress in a particular way for health and safety reasons, even though it might be against your religion.
