Religion and Belief Guidance for Managers - July 2026

9. Summary Q&A

Q: How will a manager know if a religion or belief is genuine and reasonable?
A: This will be obvious on most occasions, so religion or belief expertise usually will not be required; a religion or belief is more than an opinion or point of view. More scrutiny may be needed where beliefs are obscure or appear unreasonable or insincere.

Q: What kind of religion or belief requests will a manager need to consider?
A: Common requests include asking for permission to wear certain symbols or forms of dress, time off work for prayers or festivals and adapting work duties to meet religion or Belief needs.

Q: What steps should a manager take to deal with a request?
A: Think ahead where possible to review policies and practices that may cause problems, treat requests seriously, permit the request unless there are good reasons to justify refusal.

Q: What questions should managers ask to ensure their approach to a religion or belief request is justified?
A: Striking the right balance between competing considerations means looking at the impact on the business, on the individual making the request, and on other employees and customers if the request is or is not granted. Consider if there is a justifiable need to treat everyone in the same way, or whether different treatment is possible without breaking the law.

Q: Do employees now have a right to promote their particular religion or belief when at work?
A: Only where it is appropriate to do so without causing harassment, imposing their views on others or otherwise abusing a position of power to the detriment of the vulnerable or less powerful.

Q: Can employees refrain from work duties?
A: Unless the law explicitly allows this, it depends on the impact on the business, on other employees and on customers. It will not be appropriate where it results in discrimination against employees or customers.