Legal Battle | Vegan takes employer to tribunal over 'philosophical' beef

A man is taking his former employer to an employment tribunal after claiming that he was sacked for being vegan – the BBC reports.

Jordi Casamitjana was fired by the League Against Cruel Sports after disclosing information that the company invested pension funds into firms involved in animal testing. The League says he was dismissed for gross misconduct, but Casamitjana argues that veganism should be protected in law.

In a hearing next March, an employment tribunal will, for the first time, determine whether veganism is a ‘philosophical belief’ protected by law. If the tribunal decides that it is, the discrimination claim will proceed to a full trial. Anthony Sakrouge, Partner at Russell-Cooke, tells HR Grapevine:

“It seems to me that ethical veganism is quite likely to qualify as a protected belief, as it should satisfy the test laid out by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Grainger plc v Nicholson.”