A Sikh man in Birmingham has lodged a complaint for discrimination and harassment against his employer over his right to wear a Kara.

The news comes via the claimant’s representatives Kaurs Legal Association UK, a legal organisation founded by legal advocate Tinessa Kaur. The claimant is currently on stress-related leave and is receiving support from the Sikh community in the Midlands.

The Kara, a circular metal bracelet, is one of the Punj Kakkar, five articles of faith that Sikhs are instructed to wear. The claimant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, began to wear his Kara shortly after he decided to begin growing his hair, or Kes – another Sikh article of faith – in January 2019.

According to Kaurs Legal Association UK, the claimant has worked for his employer in a factory for 10 years, but since beginning a journey onto the path of Sikhi, he has faced discrimination and harassment.

Due to the nature of his job, he notified the company’s occupational health representative of his decision to begin wearing a Kara. The company representative advised the claimant to cover the Kara up with tape so that it doesn’t interfere with the heavy machinery that he operates, to which he agreed. However, this did not satisfy senior managers, who told him he must remove his Kara completely in the workplace.

In the preliminary hearing of the case, Miss Kaur highlighted to the judge that despite following company policies and procedures the managers argued that the Kara was still a health and safety concern in him performing his usual duties he had done for eight years. However, Kaurs Legal Association UK informed the judge that the manager himself is wearing a wedding ring, which is a similar article of faith part of Christian practice. The judge was in agreement and successfully granted for a trial to take place later this year.

Sikh PA will share updates on this case as soon as possible.