taking time of work for religious reasons

[theresnogoodnamesleft]

Hi

I've been searching the internet and can't find much info on this,

i'm jewish , live outside london and attend a local shul. I've been invited to celebrate Purim in london but would need to finish work early to get into london.

where do I stand with my employer, should I ask to take the time of but offer to take it uunpaid??

Hi, I've found the following on the DirectGov website

Time off and facilities
Your employer does not have to give you time off and facilities for religious observance but they should try to do so where possible. For example, if you need a prayer room and there is a suitable room available you should be allowed to use it, provided it does not disrupt others or your ability to do your job properly.

Religious holidays
Your employer needs to consider carefully whether they are inadvertently discriminating indirectly. For example, if team meetings always take place on a Friday afternoon this may discriminate against Jewish and Muslim staff for whom Friday afternoon has a particular religious significance, although not everyone follows their faith in the same way.

If you want time off for religious holidays, ask well in advance. Your employer should consider your request sympathetically but they can refuse if it will affect the business.

It doesn't sound as if you have a specific right to take time off, but that your employer ought to try to accomodate your request if possible. I think you would have to take it without pay though, unless they aer particularly helpful.

As Purim doesn't require you to take the day off (it is not a 'rest day' like other holidays and shabbat), you should probably be taking it as holiday or unpaid leave.

If you were asking to leave early for shabbat in winter, either you would be allowed to take the time off or to make up the time on other work days.