A 24-year-old Sikh man who was told to leave a jobsite unless he shaved his beard said the experience has turned him off Alberta and doubts he will return if he's offered another job.
Av Singh flew back to England Tuesday afternoon. He plans to meet with human resources officers and union officials with his company in England to determine if they will take action against TransAlta Corporation.
Singh was ordered off the job at the Sundance plant near Wabamun because he was told the length of his beard interfered with a respirator and posed a safety risk.
He had been working at the plant for five weeks and had passed an earlier fit test with the mask without problems.
As a Sikh, Singh is not allowed to shave his beard for religious reasons.
"It was disgraceful," he said, adding he will not come back to TransAlta if they offer him another job.
"They need to change their policies for other religions," he added.
Employers are required to make allowances for their employee's religious practices, said Marie Riddle, director of the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission.
Singh has not filed a complaint with the commission at this time, and Riddle said she could not comment directly on his case.
Generally the commission would encourage a meeting between the employee and the employer to see if a compromise could be reached.
"There's a duty on the employer to accommodate, (and) the employee has to participate in finding a solution," Riddle said.
But the commission also has to balance the employee's religious rights with the company's interests - like safety measures.
"Safety is a hugely important concern," she said.
Alternative safety measures would have to be considered by the company, such as different styles of safety masks.
One of the issues raised by Singh was the availability of a gel that can be applied to a worker's bearded face so there is an effective seal for the respirator mask.
Singh said the gel was not mentioned to him as an alternative. He was told to either shave his beard or not return to work.
None of his colleagues were wearing masks in the area where he worked, he added.
A TransAlta spokesman said the possibility of moving to another area where the mask wasn't required was discussed, but it was decided that it would be best to move him off the site.
"We've never really had an opportunity to discuss the matter further," said TransAlta spokesman Michael Lawrence. "It's very unfortunate."
Lawrence said there was a risk, although remote, that Singh could have been exposed to noxious fumes.
"The safety supervisor was extremely concerned for the safety of Mr. Singh," Lawrence added.
-By Ian McDougall