Posted on 05/16/2018 6:10:47 PM PDT by marshmallow
The new law follows a case of religious discrimination at British Airways that began 12 years ago.
On May 13, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, the British government made a surprise announcement.
U.K. Equalities Minister Victoria Atkins has set her sights on companies who ban their staff from wearing religious items, such as crucifixes.
The new guidance, due to be published by the Government Equalities Office later this month, will clearly set out what businesses can and cannot tell their staff to wear.
New rules will state that: Employers should be flexible and not set dress codes which prohibit religious symbols that do not interfere with an employees work.
This follows a case of religious discrimination that began 12 years ago. In October 2006, Nadia Eweida, a Coptic Christian employee of British Airways, was asked to cover up the cross she wore. She refused to do so. Thereafter, she was removed from her position. Christian groups accused British Airways of double standards as non-Christian groups such as Sikhs and Muslims were not prevented from wearing religious symbols at work.
In 2008, Miss Eweida lost her case for religious discrimination at an employment tribunal. In 2010, she appealed to the Court of Appeal but lost again; the UK Supreme Court refused to hear her case. At the time, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, said: The news that Nadia Eweidas appeal has failed is a sad blow both to her personally, and the cause of religious liberties and freedoms.
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
And workers in some places IN ENGLAND cannot display the Cross of St.George, which is the emblem of England (and the foundational cross of the British Union Jack).
Ms Eweidas cross was discreet and cannot have detracted from her professional appearance. There was no evidence that the wearing of other, previously authorised, items of religious clothing, such as turbans and hijabs, by other employees, had any negative impact on British Airways brand or image.
The European Court of Human Rights appears to be inconsistent:
On that day, at the same court, another appeal by a British Christian, who also claimed employers had violated her rights, was turned down. European judges agreed that the banning of NHS nurse Shirley Chaplin from wearing a cross at her hospital workplace was permissible.
They have to if they want to protect wearing hijabs.
“Government Equalities Office” ?
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