7/5/2009

Generally, employers with 15 or more employees must make reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious observances. Therefore, if you can reasonably accommodate the employee’s request, you must.

Examples of reasonable religious accommodations include: flexible scheduling, voluntary substitutions, job reassignments, lateral transfers, or modification of a workplace practice, policy or procedure. You could allow the employee to “make up” the time off to accommodate the need for Saturdays off or reassign the employee to a job with similar duties, pay and benefits.  Employers covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 should be sure to make a good faith effort to reasonably accommodate the employee’s request.

Employers should get legal counsel to ensure they are properly ascertaining their obligations regarding reasonable accomodation under the circumstances. For guidance, visit the EEOC website. 

However, if an accommodation would cause an undue hardship for the company, the accommodation does not have to be made. According to the EEOC, “an employer can show undue hardship if accommodating an employee's religious practices requires more than ordinary administrative costs, diminishes efficiency in other jobs, infringes on other employees' job rights or benefits, impairs workplace safety, causes co-workers to carry the accommodated employee's share of potentially hazardous or burdensome work, or if the proposed accommodation conflicts with another law or regulation.”

Please Note: This material is provided as general information and is not a substitute for legal or other professional advice.

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