Everyone has the right to be treated fairly, and judged according to their talents or merits in the working environment as opposed to any other characteristic. In light of this, treating a person differently because he or she has a certain faith or engage in practices that are associated with a particular religion is unlawful.
What is religious discrimination under the law?
In the work environment, religious discrimination is treating an employee or a prospective employee based upon the religion that he or she has instead of his or her individual merits. This includes both traditional religions such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, but it also protects people that have beliefs about religion and ethics, such as being an Atheist.
What type of behavior is unlawful?
It is unlawful to terminate the employment of a person on religious grounds, or similarly to deny training, promotion or any other benefits. It is also prohibited to promote any type of segregation between employees on religious grounds.
Religious discrimination and work attire
If an employee is required to dress in a certain way because of his or her religious beliefs, then he or she must notify his or her employee. The employer has a right to have more information if his or her requests are reasonable. Such decisions should be made based on the reasonability of the requests and the type of work that they perform.
Religious matters in the workplace, especially in relation to workplace attire, can be controversial. It is important to maintain good communication between employee and employer in order to keep a healthy environment free of religious discrimination. It is important to conduct research so that you are informed of your rights.
Source: EEOC, “Religious Discrimination,” accessed Dec. 22, 2017