Only employing Christians

KJBlackwood

I don't normally post, but I wanted to ask if this is legal. If you go to langleyhousetrust.org and look at the jobs they are offering, one of the drop down questions asks if you are a practising Christian. If you say "no" then it tells you that you do not meet the prerequisite requirements so can't apply. If you then change the answer to "yes" it allows you to proceed.
I understand that they're a christian organisation but at least one of the jobs is working in a prison with offenders. I could understand if it was to work in a christian church or mission, but I would have thought that a job in a state institution such as a prison wouldn't be allowed to discriminate.
I don't have anything against Christians or anyone else, but surely this is discriminatory? Does anyone know the law in this area?

PlutoinCapricorn

"The primary purpose of this pack is to help your organisation understand and apply the
Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003*. This is important because it
makes discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief illegal.
However, when a religious organisation advertises for a person of faith or chooses to
employ a person because he/she has a particular faith, this is exactly what the employer
is doing – discriminating on the grounds of religion.
The legislation does provide some flexibility to allow Christian and other religious
organisations to maintain their faith basis. In other words, discrimination is acceptable
within the law, in our case in favour of Christians, but only where this can be justified.
Justifying that a post needs a Christian to carry it out requires the employer to
demonstrate that there is a “genuine occupational requirement”, referred to as a GOR,
for the post-holder to be a Christian and that the requirement relates to the Christian
ethos of the organisation.
In other words, although Christian organisations will be able to advertise for, recruit and
employ Christians this will only be lawful if the employer can demonstrate in each case
the specific reason and relate it to their organisational ethos."

It's all in this file:

http://www.religionlaw.co.uk/FWChristian.pdf

dacouch

I would not recommend joining Langley House Trust's book club, they've been stuck reading the same book for decades.

KiKi

I wonder if it's an error on that one job. The PS is clear that being a practising Christian is desirable but not a requirement (same for all the roles I looked at), and that's the only role where it then asks that question at application stage, so perhaps an error.

Seems like you've already decided to complain to the appropriate authority, though, without even waiting for a response to your email. They've said to you that they don't only employ Christians, and they've said they'll respond to your email - but it seems you've made your mind up!

Reggie_Rebel

I work for a Christian Charity. In our charity the trustees and directors have to be practising Christians but other members of staff are not asked about their religion and we do employ people from multiple, or no faiths.

KJBlackwood

Thanks for the replies. I'm interested to see their reply as to how the "genuine occupational requirement" applies to this role as a programme facilitator at a prison, it may be a genuine mistake with their website. Even so, I intend to make it known to the relevant authorities because perfectly able candidates may have been declined the option to apply and it's the sort of mistake that has to be avoided.

bap98189

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

It's all in this file:

http://www.religionlaw.co.uk/FWChristian.pdf

In other words they can discriminate if they are recruiting a priest, but they would have a hard time arguing their case if they are looking for a cleaner.

[Deleted User]

Further evidence that religion is the main source of injustice and inequality.

moneyistooshorttomention

In some parts of Britain some employers (ie mainly the public sector) are specifying that applicants must speak Welsh and that isn't deemed to be discrimination legally by the look of it - though that may be because it isn't usually phrased quite like that. Its usually phrased more as a question asking if applicants do and making it look like its more "optional" than it is in actual practice.

That being the case - I think its quite possible that this company is allowed to do that. I've never seen an advert specifying "Christian" as a necessary qualification for it - but have found I was being asked if I was one at a job interview once many years ago (and obviously gave the wrong answer....).

The first thought that arose to my mind re that job is that maybe they are not so much specifying that applicants must be Christian - as that they mustn't be ANTI-Christian;) (with a guess as to what that means - since its 2015).

Hence I'd apply anyway in your position - as long as you aren't anti-Christian - and maybe that fact will be enough to qualify you for the position??

Retrogamer

Imagine the outrage if a job was advertised and everyone could apply except for Christians.

asajj

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

In some parts of Britain some employers (ie mainly the public sector) are specifying that applicants must speak Welsh and that isn't deemed to be discrimination legally by the look of it - though that may be because it isn't usually phrased quite like that. Its usually phrased more as a question asking if applicants do and making it look like its more "optional" than it is in actual practice.

Well it isn't weird to look for people speaking Welsh for employers in Wales. Lots of companies around Britain are looking for people with European language skills - such as Spanish, Greek etc. This is because, it is deemed to be required to do the job.

I worked for a job that was asking for a specific language. I was working with that country directly and despite speaking English, they wanted to have someone speaking local language for different reasons.