Following a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union, which found that employers could ban staff from wearing visible religious symbols but must have a relevant policy in place before doing so, Equality and Human Rights Commission Chief Executive Rebecca Hilsenrath said:
This Court of Justice ruling does not mean businesses can target women wearing the hijab for dismissal, or introduce policies which ban religious dress from customer-facing roles.
We believe our laws do not need to change and the guidance we issued to employers on religion or belief includes advice on this issue. Any employer thinking of changing policy should consult that guidance before making rash decisions.
