Religious Discrimination in the Workplace
Employers are prohibited from acting in a discriminatory manner when considering the hiring, firing or other conditions of employment for an employee. This constraint is dictated by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disabilities and religion. In the case of religion this means that an employer can not make any employment decisions in regards to an employee based on their religious orientation or beliefs. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC has the responsibility to administer the federal discrimination laws and is charged with receiving and investigating complaints related to discriminatory practices by employers with 15 or more employees. When a person believes that their employment has been affected by religious discrimination they may look to file a claim with the EEOC. Experienced Employment Attorneys are invaluable when this illegal activity needs to be addressed.
Has religious discrimination in the workplace determined your employment status? If so, contact one of our experienced employment attorneys in your area today!
To claim protection under Title VII with regards to religious discrimination the following criteria must be met:
- The Employee must believe in a Bona Fide Religion
- The Employee must apprise his employer of any conflicts between his job requirements and his religious practices
- The Employee must work with the employer to find reasonable accommodation
Not only must employers not discriminate with regards to religion, they must also attempt to accommodate an employee’s religious practices. These accommodations need to be reasonable and will only apply when they don’t impose undue hardship on the employer. Employers and employees need to be flexible to create an environment that will allow an employee’s religious practice while not imposing hardship on the employer or other employees. Although the laws have been in existence for a number of years the EEOC still handles many complaints every year. In 2006 the EEOC receive 2,541 religious discrimination complaints and resolved 2,387 charges and recovered $5.7 million for aggrieved individuals.
In addition to prohibiting religious prejudice the laws make it illegal for an employer to retaliate against any individual who has opposed discriminatory practices, filed a claim or testified in an investigation or litigation related to Title VII. Not only must an employer comply with the law but they must design procedures to prevent harassment of their employees and also create and make them aware of company policies that appose these illegal activities. In the event that an employee feels that religious discrimination has played a role in an employment decision that has impacted their life they should seek the council of qualified Employment Attorneys to help correct these wrongs.
Has religious discrimination in the workplace determined your employment status? If so, contact one of our experienced employment attorneys in your area today! Updated: LW |
Religious Discrimination in the Workplace 
