Kitchens that are shared between office workers may soon be banned from storing pork products like sausage rolls over fears that they are “offensive”.
New guidelines proposed by interfaith group CoExist House say that employers should consider worker’s religions before allowing ham sandwiches placed in the fridge alongside other products.
The group also suggests that alcohol should not be served at corporate events in case it upsets members of certain faiths.
Andy Dinham, professor of faith and public policy at Goldsmiths, University of London, is writing up the guidelines that will be put forward to employers this week.
Defending the controversial report, he told The Sunday Times: “It would be good etiquette to avoid heating up foods that might be prohibited for people of other faiths.
"The microwaves example is a good one.
“We also say, ‘Don’t put kosher or halal and other… special foods next to another [food] or, God forbid, on the same plate.”
He also said that religious people should be entitled to wear religious clothing and symbols as required.
He added: "We have lost the ability to talk about religious belief because of a century of secular assumptions, and most religious belief is either highly visible and we don’t recognise it, or it’s invisible and we miss it entirely.”
