Vegan-Inclusive Workplace certification: What is this and why is it needed?

Every vegan we speak to has a story to tell about a struggle they’ve had at work. Some of them are minor, others are distressing. Many are unlawful. And almost all of them were completely avoidable.

We know that the instinctive reaction from non-vegan employers might be something like the title of this article. If you’re curious, we’d like to tell you why we exist and why we think you should care.

First, let us set the scene.

We all have a human right to freedom of conscience, also known as freedom of religion and belief. The right to adopt a religion or belief, to practice it without coercion or hindrance, and to change it as you wish, are all fundamental freedoms in any democratic society. Lawmakers and the courts take them very seriously.

There is no single definition of what amounts to a religion or belief for human rights or equality law, but they include traditional religions, like Christianity, Islam and Judaism, as well as certain non-religious beliefs (provided they meet the legal test), like pacifism, humanism and atheism.

Ethical veganism is another example of a non-religious belief that the courts have confirmed warrants legal protection under law.

This means that the same laws that prohibit discrimination or bullying on the grounds of other protected characteristics (like race, religion, sexual orientation or disability) also apply to vegans. In other words, harassment or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s veganism in the workplace may be unlawful.

But 74% of employers don’t know this.

This has led to almost half of all vegans experiencing discrimination and almost a third of all vegans experiencing harassment in the workplace. This is compared to a much lower but still concerning 3% of workers who have experienced religious discrimination at work.

What does workplace discrimination or harassment of vegans in the workplace look like?

Discrimination and harassment are both terms defined in legislation, so they have a specific legal meaning but they cover a wide range of behaviours.

It could be things like a vegan being passed over for promotion because the employer thinks all vegans are troublemakers. Or a vegan being degraded at work by their colleagues who repeatedly tease them for their beliefs. Or it could be things that aren’t necessarily targeted at a particular vegan or vegans, but general policies that have the unintended consequence of disadvantaging a vegan, like providing lunch for all staff, but not providing a vegan option, so the vegan has to buy their own. Or requiring all staff to wear leather protective boots, but not offering a vegan alternative.

All of these are examples of things that could fall within the definitions of harassment or discrimination under the Equality Act, but they also create an unpleasant work environment that isn’t setting employees up for success. This can lead to reduced motivation and productivity, poor mental and physical health outcomes and avoidable staff turnover, all of which employers don’t want.

Discrimination against vegan employees isn’t just morally and legally troubling, it’s also bad for business. Why?

1. There are a lot of vegans in the workforce (and there will be more)

As of 2024, an estimated 4.7% of the UK population identify as vegan, rising to 8% of Millenials and 9% of Gen Z. This is a large and growing proportion of the workforce. As a comparison, according to the 2021 UK census, 3.2% of the population identify with an LGB+ sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, bisexual or other).

As Gen Zs continue to enter the workforce, employers will notice a stark increase in the number of vegans working for them.

The numbers following and intending to follow a meat-free diet are even more significant, with 26% of Gen Z already meat-free and another 26% intending to go meat-free in 2024. If these intentions are carried out, this could mean over half of Gen Z being meat-free by the end of 2024.

2. Discrimination leads to poor mental health outcomes, which in turn negatively affects productivity

Discrimination has been shown to have significant negative effects on mental health. Most of the research in this area has focused on religious discrimination (and other forms of discrimination) as opposed to non-religious belief discrimination, but one study indicates that one in three people who have experienced religious discrimination also have a diagnosed mental health condition, which is double the rate of the general population.

Other studies have shown comparable results with other forms of discrimination.

While the research may be lacking in relation to non-religious belief discrimination, it isn’t hard to imagine that people who are chronically treated differently, unfairly or badly might have wide-ranging negative mental health outcomes, like stress-related disorders, depression or anxiety.

Poor mental health accounts for half of all work-related illnesses. 49% of long-term sick leave is due to stress, depression or anxiety. This costs UK employers a reported £51 billion a year.

Tackling the causes of mental health issues at work can improve productivity. To put this into monetary terms, according to research by Deloitte, for every £1 spent on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce, employers get (on average) about £4.70 back in increased productivity.

3. Young workers are more discerning about where they want to work, and employers are struggling to recruit

For example, a recent survey by Deloitte showed that 44% of Gen Zs and 40% of Millennials have turned down job offers from employers that don’t align with their values.

And it’s not just recruitment. This also has knock-on effects for staff retention and willingness to work. 50% of Gen Z and 40% of Millennials have turned down work assignments based on their personal beliefs, and a LinkedIn survey found that 87% of Gen Zs would leave their current job for one at a company whose values were more closely aligned with their own.

Businesses are feeling the effects of evolving worker expectations, with 66% of businesses reporting difficulties with recruitment in the first quarter of 2024.

Skills shortages limit businesses’ ability to operate profitably, as well as impacting the morale and wellbeing of existing staff. A recent study by economists at the Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University found that a company facing the average amount of hiring difficulty can expect a 5 percent drop in sales.

All of this is to say…

Vegans might get a bad rap, but employers are looking for new ways to appeal to an evolving workforce, and Vegan-Inclusive Workplace Certification is one way of doing that. If employers want to stand out from the crowd and be attractive to young jobseekers, have a productive workforce (and avoid expensive legal claims down the line), perhaps it’s time to wake up and smell the oat latte.

Here’s the good news: becoming a Vegan-Inclusive Workplace is easy.

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