A New South Wales woman has accused a local accountancy firm of sacking her for wanting to wear the Muslim headscarf.
Mariam El Hassan, 23, had worked at the Wollongong firm for five years.
Her lawyer says she asked the firm if she could start wearing the headscarf to work for religious reasons but permission was denied.
Michelle Walsh from Turner Freeman Lawyers says Ms El Hassan was told not to come into work when she said she wanted to wear the headscarf.
"She'd had a day off to celebrate Eid and she was to come into work," Ms Walsh said.
"However, she received a telephone call from the receptionist saying: you're not allowed to come in like that, you need to seek permission, and she then had the text message exchange with her employer where it was conveyed to her that she could not come into work wearing the hijab."
The matter is expected to go to before Fair Work Australia for conciliation next month.