Poll finds most people support right to wear cross at work

A Comres poll for Premier Christian Radio has found that most people disagree with a tribunal’s decision this week to uphold an NHS ban on a nurse who wanted to wear her crucifix necklace to work.

An employment tribunal ruled that the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust was right to ban nurse Shirley Chaplin from wearing the necklace during shifts because it compromised health and safety rules.

Shirley Chaplin had gone to court claiming religious discrimination on the grounds that staff of other faiths were allowed to wear religious symbols. The tribunal ruled, however, that the trust’s ban did not amount to discrimination.

The Comres poll for Premier Radio found that 81 per cent of the public thought that people should have the right to wear a cross at work “whatever their job”.

The Bishop of Lichfield the Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill told the station: “It does seem daft that Muslim scarves are allowed to wear headscarfs, Sikhs are allowed to wear turbans but Christians shouldn’t be allowed to wear a cross and to deny the significance of that and the support it is ... that’s extraordinary.”

Christian peer Lord Harries told the station he hoped Christians would be able to find other ways of “displaying their faith in sensible ways without offending issues of health and safety”.

Mrs Chaplin claims to have worn the cross necklace every day since her confirmation nearly 40 years ago without experiencing any problems.

She said she was disappointed but not surprised by Tuesday’s decision.

“It is extraordinary that the trust can spend what must be tens of thousands of pounds defending their position, when at the same time they are making cut backs which affect patients every day,” she said.

“What the Trust doesn’t realise, as it seeks to enforce its uniform policy in the way it has, is that it sends out a very clear message to Christians working in the Trust or considering working for the trust in the future that they will have to ‘hide’ their faith.

“The message is clear: Christians whose faith motivates their vocation and care of patients do not appear to be welcome at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust.”

Mrs Chaplin has vowed to challenge the ruling.

She added: “I fight on and I fight to win the right for Christians to live out their faith in Britain today – anything less would be a negation of my Christian duty.”