Professionals working in California benefit from legal protection related to discrimination at work. Employers should not treat workers differently based on their protected characteristics. Religion is one of the protected characteristics that businesses should not consider when making employment decisions.
Unfortunately, some professionals might face religious discrimination. Their faith (or lack thereof) could impact their career development and income. The following are some of the ways that employers might violate workers’ religious rights.
Forcing religious violations
Sometimes, job tasks could violate the tenets of an individual’s faith. Employers should not force workers to violate religious diets or engage in conduct contrary to their belief system. Demanding that a female Muslim employee uncover her hair in front of male coworkers could be a violation of an individual’s religious beliefs and protection, for example.
Refusing to provide reasonable accommodations
Employees can request reasonable accommodations to observe their religion in most cases. Taking one day off each week to attend services or seeking time off for major religious holidays are common accommodations. As long as it does not create a hardship for the employer, allowing workers to practice their faith is a standard obligation imposed on employers.
Allowing a hostile work environment
If many employees belong to the same religion or do not have a religion, they could bully or abuse someone because of their faith. Employers should not allow a hostile workplace to develop and should take action if employees bring concerns to their attention.
Workers who have endured workplace hostilities or faced career setbacks due to religious discrimination have legal rights. Documenting what occurred and reviewing a situation carefully with a skilled legal team may help employees assert themselves more effectively and make use of their protection from workplace religious discrimination.