This is a complex area of law made even more complex with the addition of religious (and belief) discrimination in December 2003. The greatest difficulty within the workplace is in expecting individuals to be respectful of their colleagues' religions and beliefs, when those are seemingly in conflict with their own beliefs or values.
As an example, take the male Muslim who refuses to shake the hand of the female client who then takes his gesture as an insult putting both individuals in instant conflict with each other. Consider also the Mormon who is ostracised by some colleagues as a result of refusing to attend the works Christmas Party because it is being held in a wine bar. And finally, consider the Methodist who makes an issue out of not joining his department's lottery syndicate as he says his religion forbids him from having anything to do with gambling.
The government says we live in a multicultural society and we must all respect each other's individuality and individual rights. This is not however such an easy statement to make in the workplace, where individual differences are highlighted far more often than individual similarities, and this area will therefore continue to challenge line and HR managers for a long time to come.
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