In light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month, employers may need to examine and modify their policies on religious accommodations. The ruling makes it harder for employers to deny employees' requests for this type of accommodation.
The case involved Gerald Groff, a former postal worker who sued the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for failing to accommodate his religious practice. Groff is an evangelical Christian who observes a Sunday Sabbath, meaning he doesn't work on that day. The USPS had scheduled him for some Sunday shifts involving Amazon package delivery.
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers must reasonably accommodate all aspects of an employee's religious observance or practice that can be done without creating an undue hardship for the business. In Groff v. DeJoy, the Supreme Court ruled that employers can only deny an employee's request for a religious accommodation under federal law if they can prove it would result in substantially increased costs for the business.
To determine whether there's an undue hardship, companies must evaluate the practical impact of an accommodation on the conduct of the business, based on the nature, size and operating costs of that particular organization, the court said.
"The court dramatically heightened the standard for religious accommodation in the workforce, despite its statements to the contrary," said Pamela Moore, an attorney with McCarter & English in Hartford, Conn. "It will result in...
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