Ethical veganism is now a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. So, what does this mean for your Business?
a.cousineau • January 3, 2020
Vegans – eat your heart out! It turns out that being vegan isn’t just for January! A judge in the Employment Tribunal has ruled that being vegan, for ethical reasons, amounts to a ‘philosophical belief’ and is therefore protected by the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.
What does this mean for your business?
It means, ethical vegans now enjoy all of the protections from discrimination, harassment and victimisation as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Broadly speaking, this means they are protected from less favourable treatment because of their vegan beliefs and lifestyle.
The protection extends to the provision of goods and services, meaning that service providers like banks, cafes and shops must treat their ethical vegan customers fairly.
It is worth noting that protection is only afforded to vegans who practice veganism on ethical grounds and that vegetarianism is not protected. Nevertheless, the new ruling is far reaching and will have implications for almost all business owners and their staff.
Businesses must take steps to ensure ethical vegans are treated fairly. Protections for ethical vegans will apply broadly; employees and employment applicants are protected, as are customers and service users receiving goods and services.
For example, a staff canteen may need to provide a vegan food option and where an employer provides tea and coffee, it may now need to also provide for milk alternatives such as soy, oat or almond milk.
In certain circumstances, an employer may even need to consider its pension provisions and be ready to give ethical vegan employees a choice in investments, so that they can select funds that are guaranteed to be free from animal cruelty or environmental concerns.
Employers should educate their staff on this new protected characteristic so that harassment and victimisation on the grounds of ethical veganism can be prevented. Awareness and education will be key as an employer can be vicariously liable for the acts of its employees. In other words, an employer could be held to account if one of its employees harasses another employee or customer.
If you have any questions, related to the Equality Act 2010 or any other employment matter, then get in contact and we will be happy to help.
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