{"id":772831,"date":"2023-06-22T08:47:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T12:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/animalrightswatch.us\/?p=772831"},"modified":"2023-06-22T09:26:55","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T13:26:55","slug":"eating-a-vegan-diet-is-not-the-same-as-a-philosophical-belief-tribunal-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/animalrightswatch.us\/?p=772831","title":{"rendered":"PROOF NOT IN THE PUDDING: Eating a vegan diet is not the same as a philosophical belief, tribunal rules"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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In the discrimination lawsuit, Tracy Owen claimed that her vegan diet is the same thing as being a philosophical vegan. In her ruling, the judge said: 'I accept Ms. Owen follows a vegan diet and avoids using some products that are not vegan. However, I cannot conclude that she genuinely holds a belief in ethical veganism'.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\n

THE TELEGRAPH:<\/strong> Tracy Owen, a care home worker, claimed that she should be exempt from having the Covid vaccine as it had been tested on animals and so went against her philosophical belief as a vegan.<\/em><\/p>\n

When all care home staff were required to have the vaccine by law in November 2021, Ms Owen was fired from her role \u201cin the absence of any exemption\u201d. <\/em>She launched a legal case against Willow Tower, the London-based company that runs the care home.<\/em><\/p>\n

The tribunal heard that she started working at a Sunrise care home in the north west of England in February 2016. <\/em>In June 2021, the care home decided all staff and contractors in the building should have the Covid vaccination after family members of patients raised concerns.<\/em><\/p>\n

In August Ms Owen raised a grievance, complaining of harassment, victimisation and discrimination surrounding her working hours \u2013 but no mention of ethical veganism. <\/em>Bosses responded, informing her of a \u201ctemporary change\u201d to her duties in light of the upcoming new law enforcing all care home staff be vaccinated from Nov 11. <\/em>Ms Owen was told that if she was still unwilling to have the vaccine, she would be \u201cre-deployed\u201d in the kitchen or laundry department.<\/em><\/p>\n

At a grievance hearing, held in Manchester, Ms Owen claimed that due to her vegan diet she would be \u201cexempt from the vaccine\u201d. <\/em>On Nov 12, the day after it became mandatory for all CQC registered care home staff to become vaccinated, Ms Owen was sent a letter confirming termination of employment \u201cin the absence of any exemption\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ms Owen claimed she had been discriminated against for being an ethical vegan and the Covid vaccine went against her beliefs as it had been tested on animals. <\/em>However, the tribunal questioned the strength of Ms Owen\u2019s veganism as she couldn\u2019t recall when she had become vegan other than it being \u201ca long time ago\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

Upon questioning, she gave \u201climited evidence\u201d on how she practises her vegan lifestyle, and claimed a vegan diet \u201cis the same thing\u201d as being a philosophical vegan. <\/em>Employment Judge Rachel Mellor said: \u201cI accept she follows a vegan diet, and she avoids using some products that are not vegan, however, I cannot conclude that she genuinely holds a belief in ethical veganism.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cShe gave no examples of ways in which her daily life is structured to adhere to her belief…Her main criticisms of the vaccine appeared not to be connected to veganism, but that it is experimental and may contravene health and safety legislation. <\/em>This is inconsistent with ethical veganism being a belief; if it was a genuinely held belief I would have expected that to exercise her more than it apparently did in the evidence I have seen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The judge ruled Ms Owen\u2019s veganism was not a protected characteristic so was thrown out, along with her unfair dismissal claim. <\/em>SOURCE…<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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