Headscarves can be banned at work, top European court rules

Employers will be able to ban Muslim staff from wearing headscarves at work, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

The court said: "An internal rule of an undertaking which prohibits the visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign does not constitute direct discrimination".

It is the first decision on women wearing Islamic headscarves at work.

The court gave a joined judgement on the cases of two women - one living in France and one in Belgium - who were dismissed from work after refusing to remove their headscarves.

The ruling went on to say that companies who had no existing ban on religious symbols, would not be able to impose the "wishes of a customer"

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