Mechanic receives 19,000 euros after being fired due to his religion
A mechanic in Zaandam won approximately 19,000 euros after being dismissed from his job at Brand Preventie Groep just three days later due to his religion. The court ruled that the dismissal was illegal and discriminatory.
The 34-year-old man started working at the company in April and requested time and a place to pray once or twice a day. He also indicated that he cannot work on farms that contain pigs, in line with his religious beliefs.
The company terminated the employee on the fourth day, justifying this by the need to maintain religious neutrality and considering it inappropriate to ask clients to provide a place for prayer or to adjust his work schedule to avoid working with pigs.
The mechanic filed a lawsuit against his dismissal in court, asserting that he was fired because of his religion. The company claimed he was simply inflexible. The court found that the dismissal constituted "prohibited discrimination based on religion," noting that the company did not have an official policy supporting its claim of religious neutrality.
The court clarified that taking customer preferences into account does not justify discriminatory practices, noting that the company did not even consult customers about providing a prayer space. As a result, the mechanic was awarded approximately 19,000 euros, including severance pay, notice pay, and compensation for unlawful dismissal.