The First Amendment protects the right to freely practice religion. Additional state and federal laws expand on religious liberties. Religion is among the protected characteristics that should not have any bearing on employment. With certain exceptions for actual religious institutions and churches, employers generally cannot treat workers differently due to their religious practices.
Unfortunately, religious discrimination does still occur. Those who recognize it when it happens have a better chance of fighting back and holding their employers accountable. What does religious discrimination usually look like?
Accommodation refusals
Workers may need time off to observe their religions. They may need certain concessions regarding the company’s dress code rules if they wear head coverings or other religious clothing. Employers should do their best to accommodate workers so long as doing so does not create an undue hardship for the organization. Insisting on scheduling a worker on their holy day or punishing them for requesting leave to attend services could constitute discrimination.
Coworker or customer hostility
Employers should not allow others to create a hostile work environment because of a professional’s religion. Workers shouldn’t have to tolerate verbal harassment, intimidation or threats from their peers or members of the public because of their faith. They should not have to endure proselytizing or offensive jokes about their religion. When employers ignore the harassment and hostility reported by a worker, their actions could constitute religious discrimination.
Workers treated differently because of their faith do have rights under the law. Fighting back against religious discrimination may sometimes require litigation, especially if an employer fires or otherwise engages in adverse action against a worker because of their religion.