A Muslim woman is taking a London hair salon to an employment tribunal claiming the wearing of her headscarf cost her the job.
Reported by the BBC, Bushra Noah was rejected for a post at Wedge salon in King’s Cross because the owner, Sarah Desrosiers, allegedly said she needed staff to display their hairstyles.
Noah, aged 19, is claiming direct and indirect religious discrimination and said wearing a headscarf was central to her religion and would not have affected her ability to carry out her job.
According to the BBC report, Noah said that during her interview with Ms Desrosiers in March this year, the salon owner had said she felt “uncomfortable” with Miss Noah’s wearing of a headscarf.
Defending her position, the salon owner said: “It has nothing to do with religion. If a person was wearing a cowboy hat or a baseball hat I would say the same thing.”
Noah has been rejected for 25 hairdressing jobs.
