A ruling rendered on August 20 gave Rotterdam city the right not to employ in its social services a Muslim applicant who refused to shake women's hand. This ruling is a turning point for the rules concerning religious practices at work. (Ref. 080627)
The candidate pressed charges and invoked freedom of religion, protected by the Dutch Constitution. On the other hand, the judge deemed that a local authority employee couldn’t refuse to shake users’ hands, since their job consists in “building a trusting relationship.” The ruling concerns a local authority but is a major turning point for the Netherlands. Until now, regulations were usually in favor of Muslim workers, discriminated against on the labor market because of their religion. In June
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