Religion and belief
Explore the CIPD’s point of view on religion and belief, including recommendations for employers
Explore the CIPD’s point of view on religion and belief, including recommendations for employers
To be a genuinely inclusive and equalities of outcomes employer, organisations need to understand – and be sensitive to – employees’ religious and philosophical beliefs or non-beliefs.
Religion and belief discrimination is illegal in the UK as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Although the act does not include a definition of belief other than ‘belief means any religious or philosophical belief’ and includes a lack of a particular belief, courts have developed a definition of belief through cases.
A belief does not need to include faith or worship of a god or gods, but it must affect how a person lives their life or perceives the world. For a philosophical belief to be protected under the act, it must:
Beliefs such as humanism, pacifism, vegetarianism, the belief in man-made climate change and gender critical beliefs are all protected. Holocaust denial, or the belief in racial superiority are not protected. A 2017 report by consultancy ComRes showed that 3% of workers still say they are discriminated against because of their religion or beliefs, and a similar proportion report having witnessed colleagues being discriminated against on this basis.
The evidence also revealed a significant mismatch between HR and employee perceptions about provisions their organisation makes to cater for religious inclusion. For example, while 91% of HR managers say their organisation promotes understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion with regards to religion and belief to some or a great extent, only a quarter of workers agree this is the case.
The CIPD believes that all people, in recognition and respect of their religious or philosophical beliefs or non-beliefs, should have equality of access and equality of outcomes throughout their employment journey. From getting a job, to accessing training and receiving a promotion, employees should feel empowered and be able to realise their full potential at work. Everyone has the right to develop their skills and talents, work in a safe and inclusive environment, be fairly rewarded for their work, and have a voice in their organisation.
It’s in the best interests of any organisation to understand and be sensitive to employees’ religious or philosophical beliefs (or the absence of such beliefs). It’s important that all employees are aware of the need to respect and value each other’s religions and beliefs to prevent conflict, harassment and discrimination.
Being a genuine equalities outcomes employer will benefit an organisation’s brand and their ability to recruit the best people. In addition to the cost to individuals facing prejudice or bias and missing out on job opportunities, employers who take no action to deliver equality, diversity and inclusion will quickly become less attractive in the labour market, losing out to competitors, and risking litigation.
ACAS (2018) Religion or belief discrimination
EHRC (2016) Religion or belief: a guide to the law
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