Discrimination in workplace must end

IT IS disturbing and shocking to learn that in this day and age employees still face discrimination in the workplace from their employers, especially regarding religion.

The South African Constitution together with the Bill of Rights protects the right of people to practise their religion and beliefs.

Furthermore, the Constitution states that it is within anyone’s right to belong to a religious group of his/ her choice and to be allowed to practice such.

Those who believe in Shembe grow their beards because it is one of their religion’s meaningful and long-standing principles.

Asking one to shave or even trim their beard is deeply disrespectful to them.

Rastafarians also let their hair grow naturally without straighteners or anything, asking them to cut off or straighten their hair is disrespectful to their religion.

Likewise with Muslims who grow beards, one of the reasons being that their religious role model grew one and they view it as following in his footsteps.

Asking them to go against this is discriminatory and an insult to what they believe in.

In the workplace what should be of great importance is one’s performance and professional conduct, not what an employee believes in or their physical appearance.