Perfume seller Douglas which had been criticised on social media for moving a sales assistant who started wearing a headscarf out of the public eye, has changed its dress code, RTL Nieuws reported on Friday.

The commotion arose when a Douglas shop in Leeuwarden told one of its sales staff, who had decided to start wearing a scarf, to work elsewhere in the shop.

‘Our sales staff is not allowed to wear clothing which expresses political, philosophical or religious convictions,’ Douglas Nederland said earlier in a statement, defending its policy on the grounds of ‘neutrality’.

However, some commentators on social media called for a boycott and many said Douglas is inconsistent because its advertising targets Muslims around the celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

Douglas has announced it will ‘adapt its dress code’ and said it was never its intention to cause hurt to people.

The European Court of Justice ruled last year that companies can stop staff from wearing headscarves as long as this is based on company rules stating that ‘visible signs denoting political, philosophical and religious convictions’ are not allowed.