Do employers have to make special provisions for employees who have philosophical beliefs?
The ‘belief’ element of the regulations is as important as the religious element and local authorities should try to accommodate employees’ belief where possible. Managers should equally acknowledge grievances from any employees (or job applicants) who feel they are being harassed or discriminated against because of their beliefs, just as they would for followers of particular religions. For example, there have been cases where employees who do not have particular beliefs have been subjected to unwanted evangelism. Such behaviour is likely to constitute harassment under the terms of the regulations. Managers need to be prepared to prevent such harassment in the first place, or to deal robustly with complaints when they arise. There are many widely-held views that can cause difficulty in managing employees who have conflicting beliefs. The EAT in Grainger plc v Nicholson (see Advisory Bulletin 558) set out guidelines to help employers to assess whether a belief will qualify for protecti
