|
Sporting beard cost UK Muslim his job
Sunday April 01, 2012 01:17:48 PM,
IINA
|
|
|
|
|
Croydon
(South London, England): A Muslim man from Croydon has
fallen victim to Britain’s rising Islamophobia, as he has been
sacked on the first day of his new job at a phone shop because of
his beard.
Shahid Saleem who has a beard due to his religious beliefs is now
taking legal action after the discrimination he faced at Vodafone
shop in Sutton High Street, London.
Saleem had an appointment with the store manager on September 9,
2011 after being placed there by the recruitment agency, Adecco.
But he was told that he could not work at the store because of his
beard.
The 21-year-old then asked the manager to see the dress code to
check whether Vodafone had an official policy through which the
employees should be clean shaven. But his request was refused and
was instead escorted to the exit door and told to talk to his job
agency.
“Throughout the whole time [the store manager] was talking to me,
he spoke to me condescendingly in public in front of a Vodafone
employee, which completely demoralized and upset me as well as
causing me distress,” Saleem said.
“What [the store manager] did was blatant discrimination, and
discrimination in this country is illegal, especially in regards
to the work place.”
Vodafone then probed Saleem’s complaint and sent him an apology,
claiming the manager thought Saleem’s appearance was “rather
scruffy and not business appropriate” but confirming he should not
discuss about Saleem’s beard.
The store manager was then asked to join a training course to help
him comprehend more about the diversity and the company’s
policies.
|
|
Home |
Top of the Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments
|
Quick links