Religious Accommodation at Work: A Lesson for Employers

Employers are required under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to reasonably accommodate sincerely held religious beliefs and practices, unless doing so would cause undue hardship to the business. Time off for religious observance is a common request and requires careful handling.

The Case

An employee had an approved accommodation to observe the Jewish Sabbath and not work on Saturdays. After several years, the employer revoked the accommodation without a clear explanation. The employee moved into a different role that did not require Saturday work. Three months later, the employer instituted mandatory Saturday shifts and terminated the employee for attendance when he refused to work on Saturdays due to his observance. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found the circumstances concerning and filed suit for failure to accommodate religion.

Key Takeaways for Employers

• Honor existing accommodations unless a real undue hardship exists. Document the business reasons and evidence.
• Know the legal standard for religious accommodation and undue hardship. See EEOC Religious Discrimination Guidance.
• Use a consistent approach to scheduling that does not single out employees who observe a Sabbath or other religious practice.
• Engage in a good-faith interactive process and record your efforts, alternatives considered, and outcomes.

Best Practices

• Adopt a written religious accommodation policy and make it accessible to employees and managers.
• Train supervisors to recognize and escalate accommodation requests promptly.
• Evaluate options such as voluntary shift swaps, schedule changes, or reassignments when feasible.
• Revisit accommodations only with a documented, legitimate reason that is tied to current business needs.

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