In the last year, veganism has been adopted by the world in a bigger and better way than ever before, with multitudes of plant-based product and restaurant launches, and an increasing amount of people identifying as vegan. According to The Vegan Society (vegansociety.com), there are now roughly 600,000 vegans in the UK — up from around 150,000 in 2014. In most areas of daily life, long-time vegans, as well as those new to the movement, are beginning to be accepted and accommodated accordingly. For example, airlines have started to provide plantbased in-flight meals for people that request them, supermarkets stock more vegan-friendly on-the-go foods, and many universities are running plant-based dishes in their cafeterias. However, it seems that in some areas of everyday life, veganism is still not completely accepted — as worrying discrimination cases and data emerges showing that the majority of this persecution originates in the workplace.
In a study of 1,000 employers and 1,000 vegan employees, Crossland Employment Solicitors (crosslandsolicitors.com) found that nearly a third of employees have at some point felt harassed at work or unfairly treated due to their veganism, and that nearly half of vegan employees questioned have felt discriminated against by employers. The research also found that 48 per cent of employers surveyed admitted that they don’t do anything to accommodate vegans, such as vegan food in the canteen or supplying toiletries free from animal testing. Furthermore, a concerning 3 per cent of bosses said they wouldn’t hire someone if they knew they were vegan, and a number of vegans reported that they had been specifically told not to discuss their beliefs with colleagues, or to tell customers.
Of course, there is and will sadly always be those who do not understand or agree with the fundamentals of veganism, and while there are many people who will not take their disagreement further, there are also people who will move things into the realms of bullying or harassment.