An employment tribunal has held that the removal of a Muslim’s Quran (Koran) during a locker clearance was not religious discrimination. Stephen Simpson rounds up employment tribunal decisions reported in the past fortnight.
Religion: removal of Muslim’s Quran during locker clearance not discriminatory
In Hussain v Bandera Ltd, a tribunal found that the removal of the Quran (Koran) from a Muslim employee’s locker during a locker clearance was not religious discrimination.
A Muslim security guard was advised to empty his locker before going on leave. He did not do so and, on his return, discovered that his possessions had been placed in a labelled black bin bag.
The contents of his locker included the Quran. The security guard brought a religious discrimination claim that the employer’s actions “challenged and disrespected” his religion.
The employment tribunal rejected the religious discrimination claim. It said that no disrespect to the claimant’s religion was meant.
Other guards’ lockers were also cleared and the possessions were removed for safekeeping, labelled and returned to them when they came back to work.
Whoever had cleared the lockers was unaware that the Quran was among the items removed.
The tribunal disagreed that the employer should have kept a log of personal items removed. This could have constituted interference with employees’ private property. Read full case report…
Other tribunal decisions in the headlines
Tribunal overturns profit-share decision in fringe producer’s favour
A director ordered to pay the national minimum wage to actors involved in a profit-share production has had the decision overturned, reports the Stage.
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