TOOL Combating Religious Discrimination in the Workplace

For employers looking to protect workers from religious discrimination and themselves from possible legal problems, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s“Best Practices for Eradicating Religious Discrimination in the Workplace” can be helpful. The document offers a number of recommendations in four areas:

• Disparate Treatment Based on Religion (“In conducting job interviews, employers can ensure nondiscriminatory treatment by asking the same questions of all applicants for a particular job or category of job and inquiring about matters directly related to the position in question.”)

  
  

• Religious Harassment (“Employers should allow religious expression among employees to the same extent that they allow other types of personal expression that are not harassing or disruptive.”)

  
  

• Reasonable Accommodation of Religious Beliefs and Practices (“Employers should work with employees who need an adjustment to their work schedule to accommodate their religious practices.”)

  
  

• Retaliation (“Employers can reduce the risk of retaliation claims by training managers and supervisors to be aware of their anti-retaliation obligations… .”)