Belfast hotel settles religious discrimination case for £10k over NI man observing sabbath
A massive hotel in the heart of Belfast has settled a discrimination case after it pulled the job of a man who told them he couldn’t work the sabbath.
Practising Judeo-Christian Jonathan Kerr is to get £10,000 from the Hilton Belfast after the case concluded without admission of liability.
A statement released by the Equality Commission, which supported Mr Kerr’s case, said his job as a night porter at the 200-room hotel on the banks of the River Lagan was revoked three days before he was due to start his first shift due to his unavailability on the sabbath – something he’d been open about from the start.
Mr Kerr told the firm in writing that he’d be unable to work from 3pm on a Friday to 11pm on a Saturday due to his religious observance, stated the commission, and had sought clarification on shift patterns throughout the recruitment process.
After a successful interview he was offered the position, and signed a contract including an additional letter from human resources confirming that he was unable to work from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday.
Three days before he was due to work his first shift, said the commission, the hotel revoked that job offer.
He was informed via email that it would be unfair to the rest of the team for one person to be off every Friday night, and that the hotel required someone who was completely flexible, especially on a zero-hour contract.
Mr Kerr emailed the company asking whether his job offer would have stayed in place if he’d able to work Friday nights; according to the commission, he was told that it would, as if that were the case the firm could ensure fairness throughout the entire team.
The experience made Mr Kerr feel like “such a failure”, he said, as he was unable to work and provide for himself.
“I was really upset and distressed to know that I had completed the recruitment exercise successfully, yet was denied the opportunity to work because of my adherence to my faith,” he said.
“I made them aware of my religious observance obligations from the start of my application.”
The Equality Commission’s senior legal officer, Mary Kitson, said all employers must make sure that their policies, procedures and practices don’t disproportionately disadvantage someone from a particular faith.
“Where an employer operates a rule or policy that looks the same for everyone but in effect disadvantages people from a particular religious belief, they must show the reason for the rule or policy, what alternative arrangements they considered and why these could not be implemented,” she said.
Hilton Belfast has agreed to liaise with the commission to review its policies, practices and procedures.
A spokeswoman for hotel owners Pandox AB said the business maintains its “commitment to fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace for all employees”.
She added: “We believe resolving this matter in a fair and constructive manner was in the best interest of all parties.
“Hilton Belfast does not tolerate discrimination of any kind and remains dedicated to upholding our core values of diversity, equality, and respect. We continue to take steps to ensure that our policies and practices reflect our commitment to an inclusive working environment.”