#Europe #EU #discrimination #business #religion #political #ECJ

European companies can ban employees from wearing religious or political symbols including the Islamic headscarf.

Although this might be strange and too professional for a workplace to ban all employees from wearing “any political, philosophical or religious sign”, I do not understand the reason to raise statements such as “companies can ban employees from wearing headscarves.” Please understand that the statement is valid for all employees, regardless of their religion or dressing, and is not a way of discriminating people. EU, as a whole, is promoting it’s own culture at workplace. (Then again, different people might see this news in different light)

In 2003, Samira Achbita, a Muslim, was employed by G4S security services as a receptionist. The company had an “unwritten rule” that employees should not wear any political, religious or philosophical symbols at work.

Samira told G4S that she wanted to wear the Islamic headscarf but wasn’t allowed to. Consequently, the unwritten rule was converted into a formal ban and was valid for all employees. Samira went to court claiming discrimination.

However, considering that G4S has a ban on all the employees, regardless of their religion, the case cannot be held true and ECJ ruled in the favor of G4S.

Read the full article here.