Expert Witness: What shall I wear?

Workwear, health, safety and discrimination

Summary:

OH legal expert Diana Kloss examines employer policies on religious attire and explains the circumstances where it may be justifiable to impose restrictions on what is and isn’t permitted at work

Many employers include dress requirements in their terms and conditions of service, or even if there is nothing specific in the contract, issue instructions to their employees about what they should, or should not, wear. The reasons for this may be to protect health and safety, to protect the image of the business or to avoid causing offence to clients, customers or colleagues. But it can also be to avoid labelling the employee as connected to a particular religious or political belief which might be construed as liable to influence the operations of the business in line with that belief, when the employer …

 

Diana Kloss is a barrister, former part-time employment judge, Acas arbitrator and author.

 

 

Author: Kloss D

Tags discrimination equality act health and safety oh policies

Occupational Health at Work December/January 2016/2017 (vol. 13/4) pp32–33

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