Employers and workers need to do more to tackle sectarianism that masquerades as banter in the workplace, according to a new report.

While the study, commissioned by the STUC, found "real progress" has been made in reducing sectarian prejudice, it claims the problem has evolved into a "more subtle and disguised form".

Among the report’s many recommendations is that clear guidance is provided to eliminate the passing off of sectarianism as banter or humour.

The report says: "By this device verbal abuse of another, or others, can be disguised or deflected, and then more opprobrium can be heaped upon the target by blaming them for their lack of a sense of humour."

Employers should have effective procedures for protecting anyone making a complaint and create an environment in which all employees see it as their duty to fellow workers to report any form of sectarianism and support those who become targets for prejudice.

Firms should also be legally required to monitor sectarian incidents at work, the report said, and this should include examples of direct discrimination.

Titled, "Sectarianism and the Workplace" by Professor Gerry Finn, Fatima Uygun and Andrew Johnston of Strathclyde University, the report says "although increasingly rare in its most heinous forms, sectarianism is still expressed in a variety of levels of behaviour" from the "relatively trivial to the relatively serious".

The research included the use of focus groups and interviews with union officials, finding claims of sectarianism from the finance sector to the building industry.

One example given by a participant was said to have taken place in the past five years in a well-off area where a house was on fire.

The report said: "Initially the houseowner refused to allow all personnel of the fire service to enter because he did not allow Catholics in his house. The leading fire officer in attendance, who was a Protestant, insisted that unless all of his crew were allowed to enter, no-one would go in to extinguish the fire."

STUC general-secretary Grahame Smith said the report was a significant contribution to the ongoing debate about sectarianism .

He said: "It is very disappointing, if not wholly surprising, that the researchers found evidence that sectarianism persists in the Scottish workplace.

"The STUC will continue to work vigorously with Government and other stakeholders to tackle the scourge of sectarianism".

The report calls for the development of clear anti-

sectarian policies, for employers and unions to work together, for procedures to be in place

to remove offensive graffiti and for clear guidelines on what penalties would apply to offenders.

The research report, funded by the Scottish Government and the Sense over Sectarianism campaign, was published as Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing attended an event at the headquarters of Scottish Youth Theatre in

Glasgow to mark progress of efforts to tackle the problem.

Mr Ewing said: "Our strategy for tackling sectarianism is based on funding key projects and bringing together organisations to work together to send a clear message throughout the country that sectarianism is never acceptable and never excusable."

He welcomed the STUC report and said the anti-sectarian group Nil by Mouth was mounting a workplace sectarianism project backed with £118,000 of Scottish Government funding.

Bill Aitken, the Tory justice spokesman, said sectarianism would not be tolerated, while Labour MSP Bill Butler urged the Government to work with agencies to tackle the problem.

LibDem spokesman Hugh O’Donnell MSP said: "Tackling this unacceptable national shame must be a top priority."