Religious Discrimination
At Ryan Employment Law, we are passionate about fighting against religious discrimination in the workplace. Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected at work, regardless of their religious beliefs.
Religious discrimination can come in many forms, such as being passed over for promotions, being treated unfairly, or even being harassed because of your religious practices. This is not only unacceptable but also illegal.
Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects employees from religious discrimination. Religious discrimination can occur while you are an employee or even a job applicant. Religious discrimination is applicable regardless of whether you are atheist, Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Protestant, Hindu, or any other form of religion. You cannot be fired, denied benefits, or face any other adverse employment action because of your religious beliefs. Employers with 15 or more employees are covered.
If you believe you are a victim of religious discrimination in the workplace, it's essential to document any incidents, report the behavior to HR, and seek legal advice. Our team at Ryan Employment Law is here to help you fight for your rights.
Religious Accommodations
With religious discrimination, employers also have a duty to accommodate. Employees with a recognized faith are due reasonable accommodations. The accommodation(s) cannot cause an unreasonable burden on the employer’s business. Some accommodations may require the employer to make exceptions to the dress code and allow certain religious garbs or certain facial hair. In the case of Groff v. Dejoy, a mail delivery associate did not want to deliver mail on Sundays because he was a devout Christian. As a devout Christian, he believed that Sundays were meant for rest and worship. The post office did not deliver on Sundays until the post office started delivering packages for Amazon. Groff’s Sunday deliveries were redistributed to some of the other employees. After Groff was disciplined for not working on Sundays, Groff resigned and sued the post office.
Religious Harassment
As with race, sex, national origin, age, and disability, an employee cannot be harassed because of the employee's religious beliefs. An employee’s boss or manager is prohibited from harassing an employee, and if the boss does harass, the employer is liable. If other employees are harassing you, the employee, because of your religion, you need to tell your supervisor or employer immediately. Once the employer has knowledge of the harassment, the employer has a duty to stop the harassment.
Stand Up Against Religious Discrimination
Don't stay silent if you're experiencing religious discrimination at work. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn about your legal options.