Originally written by Nick Hobden on Small Business
Ethical veganism should be seen as a philosophical belief by employers, as stated by a ruling made in a landmark legal case last year.
Vegan employee Jordi Casamitjana brought the case against his former employer, League Against Cruel Sports. Mr Casamitjana claimed that he was sacked by the animal welfare charity after he disclosed that it invested pension funds in firms involved in animal testing.
The judge ruled that ethical vegans should now be entitled to similar legal protections in British workplaces as those who hold religious beliefs.
Veganism is more than just what people eat; it can encompass all aspects of an individual’s life, as can be seen in the definition of veganism on the vegan society website:
“Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”
Ethical vegans eat a plant-based diet, but also go a step further and try to avoid contact with any products derived from any form of animal exploitation. This includes not wearing clothing made of wool or leather and not using products tested on animals.
This preliminary hearing ruling