Religious belief is a protected characteristic in terms of discrimination laws. This means that it is incredibly important that you ensure that any employees that you have are not treated unfairly as a result of any religion that they have. Not only does this mean ensuring that your policies, procedures and practices do not discriminate against them but it also means that you ensure that employees do not discriminate against each other.
When employees feel that they have been discriminated against, been treated unfairly, harassed or bullied and their employer has done nothing to rectify this, it can leave them with the difficult decision to leave their job. In some cases, this can then lead to a Constructive Dismissal Claim being filed through a company such as www.employmentlawfriend.co.uk/constructive-dismissal.
When it comes to looking at your policies and practices you should ensure that no one is passed over for promotion or training opportunities as a result of their religion. You may also need to make adjustments to allow your employees to make time for prayer during the working day and to allow them to have certain days off each week to observe their religious practices. This could mean not mandating that all staff have to work Sundays or having a room where those who practice the Islamic faith can pray in private.
