Discrimination

Fear of catching Covid-19 is not protected belief under Equality Act

A tribunal has ruled that a fear of catching Covid-19 is not a protected belief under the Equality Act, according to a report in the Guardian newspaper. The claimant refused to return to her workplace in July 2020 because she had a “genuine fear” of contracting coronavirus and passing it on to her partner, who was at high risk of becoming seriously unwell. She said her employer had refused to pay her and she had suffered financial detriment as a result. She claimed this was discrimination on the grounds of her belief in regard to coronavirus and the danger from it to public health.