OVO

A man has been told he can take his employer to tribunal on the grounds he was unfairly dismissed because of his views on climate change. Tim Nicholson, 42, of Oxford, was made redundant in 2008 by Grainger Plc in Didcot, as head of sustainability. He said his beliefs had contributed to his dismissal and in March a judge ruled he could use employment equality laws to claim it was unfair. But the firm appealed against this as it believed his views were political.

[...] His solicitor, Shah Qureshi, said: “Essentially what the judgment says is that a belief in man-made climate change and the alleged resulting moral imperative is capable of being a philosophical belief and is therefore protected by the 2003 religion or belief regulations.” Mr Nicholson was given permission in March to make his claim under the Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003 that covers “any religion, religious belief, or philosophical belief”. But the ruling was challenged by Grainger plc, the UK’s biggest residential landlord, on the grounds that green views were not the same as religious or philosophical beliefs. Mr Nicholson, who said his opinions affect his whole lifestyle, claimed his views had put him at odds with other senior staff at Grainger and been ignored by managers.

Article continues.  Perhaps we should all drop some Deeply Held Beliefs and Sincere Feelings in our daily conversation at work in these difficult economic times.  Then when we’re laid off we can say it was a case of religious discrimination.