Business should beware of disciplining employees for not wearing uniforms if uniforms infringe on their religious beliefs.
Employers need to be sensitive to the potential conflict between religious beliefs and conditions of employment.
A failure to do so could result in a costly legal procedure.
In a recent case heard at the Durban Labour Court, involving Greenfour Security and employees belonging to a church group which did not allow them to trim their beards, the company had a policy that required all its employees to be clean-shaven.
The employees refused to shave their beards and this led to disciplinary action, which ultimately resulted in their dismissal.
The employees argued that trimming their beards violated an essential tenet of their faith.
The courts also considered whether the trimming of beards constituted an inherent requirement of the job.
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