Religious Discrimination and Accommodations

The Civil Rights Act of 1965 protects against discrimination of employees based on their religion, and
it also requires reasonable accommodations of religious practices. In the aftermath of the disaster that
occurred on September 11, 2001, many persons of different religious faiths, especially those of the
Muslim faith, have had to endure hateful treatment by some of their fellow Americans, which in turn
has spilled over into the workplace. Even before this disaster some employees have been targeted for
discrimination because they were, or were not, a member of a certain religious faith. Both federal and
state law prevent this form of discrimination, and employers must be diligent in preventing this type of
discrimination from entering into the workplace. For a brief overview on what evidence is used to
establish an illegal discrimination case, go to Spotting Illegal Discrimination.

One of the issues often ignored by employers is the requirement that they provide reasonable
accommodations for religious beliefs. Examples of reasonable accommodations include reassignment
or transfer, restructuring of job duties, flexibility in dress and appearance standards, and allowing
reasonable time off or the exchange of work schedules to allow for religious practices. These
accommodation requirements often times require detailed analysis by the employer of the
circumstances, including a determination as to how much of a burden such an accommodation would
have on the employer.

Please note that as with other forms of discrimination, only significant employment decisions are
considered to be a violation of these laws, such as decisions involving hiring, promoting,
compensating, terminating, or failing to accommodate. However, these same religious discrimination
laws do also provide protections for illegal harassment and retaliation.   If you believe that you have
been the victim of race, color, or national origin discrimination, please fill out and send the
discrimination e-mail form.   If you have been wrongfully accused of committing a discriminatory
act, please fill out and send our email contact form.   We would be happy to review your matter, and
contact you about your potential options. PLEASE DO NOT DELAY, as this may prevent you from
being able to assert your legal rights.