Religion or belief is one of the nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. People have legal protection from being discriminated against because of religion or belief, or lack of religion or belief, under the Act. They also have an absolute right to hold (with a qualified right to manifest) a religion or belief under Article 9 of the Human Rights Act 1998.
The information on these pages set out what employers need to know about religion or belief. Employers are not expected to be experts on religion or belief. In most cases, taking a common sense approach will help you to resolve issues that might arise and avoid acting unlawfully.
- Download Religion or belief: a guide to the law
- Work through our decision-making tool for handling employee requests
- Find answers to frequently asked questions about religion or belief in the workplace
- View our free online training for line managers (Acas website) and trade union representatives (TUC website) developed in partnership with Acas and the TUC
Our resources were developed and tested with employers and representatives of religion or belief organisations.
Last updated: 30 Jul 2019