ET finds that Stoicism is a protected philosophical belief under S.10 EA 2010

In Jackson v Great Britain Ltd an ET had to decide whether Stoicism qualifies as a protected philosophical belief under S.10 of the Equality Act 2010 in accordance with the principles set out by the EAT in Grainger plc and ors v Nicholson.

In Jackson v Great Britain Ltd an ET had to decide whether Stoicism qualifies as a protected philosophical belief under S.10 of the Equality Act 2010 in accordance with the principles set out by the EAT in Grainger plc and ors v Nicholson.  J believes in a particular philosophical belief system known as Stoicism, i.e. there is an objective moral reality to which we are subject and there are several ethical “values” to which he must adhere as a consequence of this belief which he identifies as wisdom, courage, moderation and justice. When considering whether an act he performs is a permissible one, the act itself and its adherence to principles and virtues is the subject which must be considered, as opposed to determining the ethical nature of an act in a utilitarian or consequentialist manner. The realisation that the consequence of what he says would cause offence would not stop him from saying it. The ET found that Stoicism is a protected belief. Stoicism as a philosophical belief system has been with us for about 2,300 years and J’s belief is genuinely held because he is serious in his views and applies them consistently and with a single-minded logic. Stoicism concerns a weighty and substantial aspect of human life and behaviour, it attains a certain level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance, and is worthy of respect in a democratic society, not incompatible with human dignity and not in conflict with the fundamental rights of others.

Read more

Latest News

Read More

Wellbeing pays: the ROI HR can’t ignore

9 October 2025

Skills

7 October 2025

How to build a skills-based strategy

A key challenge for organisations looking at their skills strategy is getting their job data under control. Discover how creating a single source of truth...

Artificial Intelligence, Globalisation

7 October 2025

Talent strategies for business expansion and growth

Global Expansion 2025: Powerful Talent Management Strategies for a Diverse and AI-Driven Workforce....

Newsletter

Receive the latest HR news and strategic content

Please note, as per the GDPR Legislation, we need to ensure you are ‘Opted In’ to receive updates from ‘theHRDIRECTOR’. We will NEVER sell, rent, share or give away your data to third parties. We only use it to send information about our products and updates within the HR space To see our Privacy Policy – click here

Latest HR Jobs

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine – Human ResourcesSalary: £39,432 to £45,097 per annum (pro-rata) inclusive This provides summary information and comment on the

Harper Adams University – Human ResourcesSalary: £46,049 to £50,253 per annum. Grade 10 This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where

University of Cambridge – Department of Clinical NeurosciencesSalary: £27,319 to £31,236 This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where employment tribunal

Royal Conservatoire of ScotlandSalary: £52,074 to £58,611 This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where employment tribunal and appellate court cases

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE