A 21-year-old IT employee in the Netherlands just learned the hard way that first impressions really do matter.
The man had only just started his new job on June 1 this year, working for a company that seconded him to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA).
His role was as an IT service employee working remotely.
An awkward introduction
On June 3, only his third day on the job, an awkward moment unfolded during an introduction at the COA. The man refused to shake hands with a female team leader, citing his religious beliefs.
According to RTL Nieuws, the COA later filed a report of gender discrimination against the employee.
Hoping to clear the air, the man responded with an email explaining that he had “acted out of religious conviction” and hadn’t intended to offend or humiliate anyone.
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Despite his explanation, his employer terminated his contract that same day, claiming his “performance” didn’t align with company expectations.
Quite a verdict for someone who’d barely logged a full week.
Court steps in
The man took the case to court, and the District Court of The Hague wasn’t impressed by the company’s reasoning. The judge ruled that the dismissal was discriminatory and that it was far too early to assess his performance.
Since the employee was set to work remotely, the court also noted that shaking hands wasn’t exactly in the job description.
In the end, the court awarded the man €34,000 in “fair compensation”, stating that the employer was “particularly responsible” for the discriminatory termination.
Three days on the job, no handshake, and a €34,000 payout. Sometimes, staying true to your beliefs really does pay off.
Do you agree with the court’s ruling, or should the employer have had the final say? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
Total BS…. So easy to cite the religious card… sick if it… I’m going to cite the real reason and that it was all about shaking a “females” hands as let’s face it…this religion already thinks females are less than equal! So if anything if it were me in this situation I would have filed a discrimination case citing he didn’t shake hands with me because I was female!!
100% agree. The religious card should only go so far and bad judicial decisions have a negative impact on the entire country, causing a chilling effect on views of women at work (e.g., respect, perceived intelligence, etc.). When there is a preference for religious rights over gender equality, enforcing local customs and norms should take precedence. Clearly, remote work should be a factor in this. However, if he was told in the interview process or as a condition to being hired that he would have to come in for some reason (e.g., in-person training, onsite events, etc.) where he would need to interact with or potentially interact with female co-workers, then this is a horrible opinion and lacks judgment. Even if this did not apply, if he was offered an opportunity to come to the office and he did not refuse to do so as a remote employee, then this is still a bad judgment because he came into the office. In a modern country, religious beliefs should have protection in a religious context and should be balanced against others’ rights. Work is not a religious context. Whoever this judge is, he clearly failed to balance different rights. Moreover, the fact that this individual is receiving a significant payment is ridiculous. If there is such a thing in the Netherlands, this judge should be impeached (i.e., lose his job).
No one is obligated by law to shake any of your fishy ass hands tho. Facts
I think we should all be able to set boundaries when it comes to any kind of physical contact. Even a female masseuse is able to refuse male clients, so why can’t office employees say no to touching the opposite gender?