Employee Relations - Project 6 Human Relations in a World of Diversity

Project Description:

Consider the following case and answer the questions below:

Mrs. Safar, a devout Muslim, was employed as a teaching assistant in a junior school controlled by the local education board. She refused to comply with her headmasters instruction that she should not wear a niqab covering all of her head and face, save for her hands, when carrying out classroom teaching duties in the presence of male staff members. The basis for this requirement was the school's assessment that wearing such a garment reduced the non-verbal signals required between adult and pupils, preventing full and effective communication. The position of the local education board and the school was that the issue had been approached with sensitivity - by attempting to accommodate Mrs. Safar's beliefs by allowing her to wear the garment in situations outside the classroom. Mrs. Safar was ultimately suspended for refusing to comply with this requirement.

1) What type of discrimination is illustrated in this case? What is it based on?

2) Does Mrs. Safar have any legal remedies to combat the discrimination at her work place? How was discrimination in this case addressed?

3) In your opinion, if Mrs. Safar goes to court, would she win this case? Explain why or why not.

Submit your original responses in at least 3 paragraphs