Harassment related to religion or belief

According to the 2001 census, a quarter of UK workers are active members of their faith. Many report harassment at work because of their beliefs.

A Home Office study in 2001, Religious discrimination in England and Wales, found that most Muslim, Sikh and Hindu organisations reported “unfair treatment in almost every aspect of employment”. And in a survey by the T&G general union (now Unite) of its full-time officers, the majority said they had come across religious discrimination in the workplace “to a lesser or greater degree”.

A report by the EHRC, Religious discrimination in Great Britain, 2000-2010, found evidence of more frequent and more serious examples of religious discrimination against Muslims and those mistaken for Muslims than against other religious groups in the wake of the 9/11 and 7/7 bombings. The same report refers to evidence of a rise in recorded anti-semitism since 2000, with a peak in 2009.

There were 850 claims for religious discrimination issued in the employment tribunal in 2010-11. The median award was £6,892.