Employees and religious holidays Date published: 10 June 2015 Religious holidays are days that people celebrate because of religion. Check out the Calendar of cultural and religious dates on the Department of Social Services' website for a list of religious holidays. Benefits of letting your employees celebrate religious holidays There are many benefits if you allow your employees to celebrate their religious holidays, including: higher productivity from your staff improved job satisfaction for your staff less risk of lawsuits due to anti-discrimination law improved workplace culture retaining talented employees.Anti-discrimination law and religious holidays It can be discrimination if you don't allow your employees to celebrate religious holidays. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 and state and territory anti-discrimination law, it's illegal to discriminate against employees due to religion. Both direct and indirect discrimination are illegal: Direct discrimination is when someone directly mistreats someone because of attributes, such as religion. For example, direct discrimination would include mocking an employee because she celebrated a religious holiday. Indirect discrimination is imposing an unnecessary requirement that disadvantages a group with an attribute, such as a religion. For example, you may be liable if you put a compulsory training day on a religious holiday and then fire an employee for not attending it because the employee was away due to a religious holiday. To avoid liability, it's a good idea to let employees celebrate their religious holidays if they need to. Read the Fair Work Ombudsman's Workplace discrimination page to learn more about anti- discrimination law and the workplace.

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Employees and religious holidays

Date published: 10 June 2015

Religious holidays are days that people celebrate because of religion.

Check out the Calendar of cultural and religious dates on the Department of Social Services' websitefor a list of religious holidays.

Benefits of letting your employees celebrate religious holidays

There are many benefits if you allow your employees to celebrate their religious holidays, including:

higher productivity from your staff

improved job satisfaction for your staff

less risk of lawsuits due to anti-discrimination law

improved workplace culture

retaining talented employees.Anti-discrimination law andreligious holidays

It can be discrimination if you don't allow your employeesto celebrate religious holidays.

Under the Fair Work Act 2009 and state and territory anti-discrimination law, it's illegal todiscriminate against employees due to religion. Both direct and indirect discrimination are illegal:

Direct discrimination is when someone directly mistreats someone because of attributes, such asreligion. For example, direct discrimination would include mocking an employee because shecelebrated a religious holiday.

Indirect discrimination is imposing an unnecessary requirement that disadvantages a group with anattribute, such as a religion. For example, you may be liable if you put a compulsory training day ona religious holiday and then fire an employee for not attending it because the employee was awaydue to a religious holiday.

To avoid liability, it's a good idea to let employees celebrate their religious holidays if they need to.

Read the Fair Work Ombudsman's Workplace discrimination page to learn more about anti-discrimination law and the workplace.