Religious Discrimination In The Workplace

Religious discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee unfairly because of their religious beliefs.

So many Americans come from different backgrounds that’s unlikely that an employer’s employees would all practice the same religions. 

Under the First Amendment, employees ideally should enjoy freedom of religion, however, in the workplace, this isn’t always the case, and sometimes they face conflicts, challenges, and religious discrimination.

In a perfect world, peoples’ religious beliefs wouldn’t be a point of contention in the workplace. On the surface, many hope, as employees, that as long they finish their work on time and satisfactorily, other factors such as their faith would not become an issue in the work environment. Yet, employees still face religious discrimination.

Often, this is because religion is not just an internal belief, but a practice that also takes many other forms and actions. Religious beliefs are often expressed through:

• How they dress or groom;
• Types of diets or fasting;
• Observing certain religious holidays;
• Praying;
• Attempting to convert others to their religion;

Men and women can also suffer religious discrimination because they’re married to someone who practices a certain religion.

These religious practices can cause contention between employees or employees and employers, who may argue, harass or discriminate against employees for their particular religious practices. Employees also face hostile work environments, disparate treatment, and disparate impact in the workplace.

According to the EEOC, an employee cannot be discriminated against “when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.” 

Religious discrimination in the workplace is made illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also prohibits discrimination based on age, color, sex, or national origin. Additionally, many states have their own anti-discrimination laws.

Employers have a reasonable duty to accommodate their employees’ religious beliefs. If an employee has a reasonable request of their employer on the grounds of their religious belief, typically the employer is expected to accommodate them, unless it’s too burdensome or it goes against the requirements of the job.