Religion and Belief
Page updated: 28/09/2026
The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 came into force on the 2nd December 2003. The Regulations prevent discrimination in employment on the grounds of religion or belief. The Equality Act 2010 replaces these regulations. The Council’s obligations as an employer remain largely the same. This guidance aims to help Managers understand how to comply with legislation when recognising and managing the expression of a religion or belief in the workplace.
Religion or belief can be defined as:
Any religious belief, provided the religion has a clear structure or belief system. Denominations or sects within a religion can be considered a protected religion or religious belief.
It is as unlawful to discriminate against a person for not holding a particular (or any) religious or philosophical belief as it is to discriminate against someone for holding a religious or philosophical belief.
Discrimination can occur even when both the discriminator and person being discriminated against hold the same religious or philosophical belief.
We recommend that you read the following guidance:
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- Religion and Belief Guidance for Managers - July 2026
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- Introduction
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Close Personal Associations and Relationships Guidance
- 2. Scope
- 3. Principals
- 4. Roles and Responsibilities
- 5. Definition of Close Personal Associations / Relationships
- 6. Defining a Relevant Team or Establishment or Work Area
- 7. Recruitment and Appointment of Employees
- 8. Requirement to Disclose a Close Personal Association
- 9. Where there is a Relationship Between Applicant and Manager or Team Colleagues
- 10. Authority to Appoint
- 11. When Issues Cannot be Managed Effectively
- 12. When a Relationship Breaks Down
- 13. Conduct or Performance Issues
- 14. Close Personal Associations between an Employee and a Child / Young Person or Vulnerable Adult
- 15. Colleagues Affected by a Close Personal Association
- 16. Provision of References
- 17. Financial Regulations
- 18. Associations with Contractors or Potential Contractors
- 19. Failure to Disclose a Close Personal Association
- 20. Ensuring Equality of Opportunity
- Appendix 1 - Officers' Declaration of Personal Interests
- Appendix 2 - Relationship Protocol
Fixed Term/Temporary Contracts Guidance - August 2026
- 2. Purpose
- 3. Scope
- 4. Differences Between a Fixed Term Contract and Temporary Contract
- 5. Workers
- 6. Successive Use of Fixed term/ Temporary Contracts
- 7. Issuing Fixed term/ Temporary Contracts
- 8. Rights of Fixed term/ Temporary Employees
- 9. Fixed Term/Temporary Contracts and Restructuring
- 10. Fixed-term or Temporary Employees Applying for Secondments
- 11. Selection for Redundancy
- 12. Redundancy Payment
- 13. Continuous Service
- 14. Access to Permanent Posts
- 15. Renewal and Non-Renewal of Fixed Term/Temporary Contracts
- 16. Reviewing Fixed term / Temporary Contracts
- 17. Renewal of a Fixed term / Temporary Contract
- 18. Non-Renewal of a Fixed Term / Temporary Contract
- 19. Ensuring Equality of Opportunity
- Appendix A – Restructuring and Fixed Term/ Temporary Contracts Q&A
- Appendix B – Consultation Invite Letter Fixed Term/ Temporary Contract
- Print Page
Employee Contracts
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