Discrimination by Reason of Religion or Belief
Claims

Tribunal proceedings in relation to discrimination by reason of religion or belief claims must be brought within 3 months of the discriminatory act (or last discriminatory act) complained of.

Under the Equality Act 2010, religion and belief are now protected characteristics in their own right. There are 4 types of religion and belief discrimination: direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, victimisation, and harassment. Should you have a potential claim, then please contact one of our specialist religious discrimination solicitors immediately by telephoning us on 0333 301 0700, or by completing the contact us form below.

Direct Discrimination By Reason Of Religion Or Belief

This occurs when a person has been treated less favourably due to their religion or beliefs than others in similar circumstances. The test of whether there has been less favourable treatment is comparative. There may be a specific individual who can be a comparator, but where there is no comparator the complainant can use a hypothetical one. Direct discrimination includes associative discrimination (where an employee is treated less favourably because they are associated with another person who possesses the protected religion or belief characteristic) and discrimination by perception (where an employee is treated less favourably because others perceive them to possess the protected religion or belief characteristic even if they don’t).

Indirect Discrimination By Reason Of Religion Or Belief

This is where a seemingly non-discriminatory practice, criterion, or policy is applied to all but can only be met by a proportionately smaller number of people from a particular group who possess a particular protected religion or belief characteristic, where it is to the detriment of an individual from that group due to the fact that they cannot comply, and the said practice, criterion, or policy cannot be objectively justified on non-religion or belief grounds. An example of this type of discrimination is a rule that imposes a dress code that prevents employees from wearing garments related to their faith. Employers who impose such a rule would have to objectively justify it on non-religion or belief grounds.

Victimisation

It is unlawful to treat a person less favourably because they have made, or are about to make, or who are suspected of having made a complaint of religion or belief discrimination, or who have commenced legal proceedings, or because they have helped another person to do so. These are “protected acts” under the Equality Act 2010, and where an employer treats an employee less favourably on account of having engaged in a protected act, then the employer is guilty of victimisation.

Harassment

Harassment in this context is defined as unwanted conduct related to religion or belief which violates the employees dignity or which creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them to work in. Moreover, a claim of harassment can even be brought where the conduct is not directed at the employee personally, so long as the employee can show that the harassment created an offensive environment for them to work in.

Bringing A Claim

A tribunal claim must be made within three months of the discriminatory act (or last discriminatory act) complained of. Unlike in unfair dismissal claims, employees do not have to have had at least 2 years continuous service with the employer to be entitled to bring the claim. Should the employees claim be successful, the tribunal can make recommendations and award compensation. Should the employer fail to comply with recommendations made by the tribunal for action to reduce discrimination without reasonable justification, the tribunal can award additional compensation on top of what it may have already awarded. Furthermore, for claims brought from October 2010 onwards, Tribunals can now demand that employers implement changes to prevent further discrimination taking place. Compensation awards in discrimination cases are unlimited and unlike in unfair dismissal cases, there is no such thing as a ‘basic’ or ‘compensatory’ award. Instead, the award normally comprises the following:

• Injury to Feelings: Comprise separate awards for hurt feelings, aggravated damages, and injury to health. The criteria for assessing compensation for hurt feelings were set out by the Court of Appeal in the case of Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire (No.2) (2003), as subsequently amended, the most recent amendments being made with effect from the 6th April 2026. As a result of this, there is a top band of £62,900.00 plus for exceptionally serious cases (for cases presented between the 6th April 2025 and the 5th April 2026, the band is £60,700.00 plus), an upper band of £37,700.00 to £62,900.00 for serious cases (for cases presented between the 6th April 2025 and the 5th April 2026, the band is £36,400.00 to £60,700.00), a middle band of between £12,600.00 to £37,700.00 (for cases presented between the 6th April 2025 and the 5th April 2026, the band is £12,100.00 to £36,400.00), and a lower band of between £1,300.00 to £12,600.00 for less serious and one-off cases (for cases presented between the 6th April 2025 and the 5th April 2026, the band is £1,200.00 to £12,100.00). The Court in Vento stated that awards for less than the lower band should be avoided. An injury to health claim can be pursued, but should there be a separate award for it, the tribunal has to ensure that there is no element of duplication. Finally, aggravated damages can also be awarded, although awards for this element do not usually exceed £5,000.00 – £10,000.00 and are only awarded should the employers conduct have been especially cruel and malicious.
• Loss of Earnings: Normally makes up the bulk of the claim and includes both actual and future loss of earnings. Future loss can be extensive where psychiatric injury has been sustained as a result of the discrimination and makes it difficult for the employee to obtain new and appropriate employment.
• Injury to Health (Personal Injury): Is most commonly for psychiatric injury. Nevertheless, where a claim for personal injury is included, the employee loses the right to bring a claim in the civil courts for it.
• Ancillary Losses: These can be for items such as the cost of looking for alternative employment and pension loss.
• Interest: Interest on the compensation award can be claimed

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