My Employer Denied My Religious Accommodation Request: Do I Have a Claim?

Did your employer recently deny your request for a reasonable religious accommodation? It is essential to know that you have protections against religious discrimination under state and federal law, and those protections extend not only to traditional, organized religions but to other “sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs,” according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Part of your religious protections include the eligibility for certain religious accommodations in employment unless those accommodations would constitute an undue hardship for the employer.

If you requested a religious accommodation and were denied, do you have a claim? You certainly might have a case, and our South Florida religious discrimination lawyers can assist you. Consider the information below, and then get in touch with our firm to discuss the details of your claim.

Prohibitions Against Religious Discrimination Under State and Federal Law 

Religious discrimination is prohibited under the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA) and under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

These laws include protections against discrimination in all aspects of employment, including the job application process, hiring, pay, job assignments, benefits, termination, segregation on the basis of your religion, and other conditions of employment. You also have protections against religious harassment in the workplace and rights to religious accommodations.

Understanding Religious Accommodations

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to “reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause a burden that is substantial in the overall context of the employer’s business taking into account all relevant factors, including the particular accommodation at issue and its practical impact in light of the nature, size, and operating cost of the employer.” Further, the requirement for reasonable religious accommodations means that “an employer may be required to make reasonable adjustments to the work environment that will allow an employee to practice his or her religion.”

If your religious accommodation request was denied, your employer may be in violation of Title VII. You should know that the burden is on the employer to prove that an accommodation would create a substantial burden, and that proving an accommodation would create “more than a de minimis cost” is not enough. You may have a strong claim if your religious accommodation request was denied.

Contact a Palm Beach Gardens Religious Discrimination Lawyer for Help Today with Your Claim 

Religious discrimination is unlawful in Florida workplaces under the FCRA and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you have faced any kind of religious discrimination or have been denied a religious accommodation, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible since you may be eligible to file a claim. Employers need to be held accountable for violating religious rights under state and federal law, and our firm can help. One of the experienced Palm Beach Gardens religious discrimination attorneys at Sconzo Law Office can discuss the details of your case with you today and can help you to move forward with a claim. Contact us for more information.

Source:

eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination