Religious Discrimination in the Workplace

Being treated differently in the workplace can be an unfortunate affair. However, it can be even more demoralizing if your workplace peers discriminate based on your faith. Religion can be an incredibly delicate topic in the workplace, mainly because it can be an emotionally charged, deeply personal topic for most. Fortunately, most employees have protections against being treated differently and negatively because of their religion (or lack thereof). Trust the advice of experienced Tampa religious discrimination attorneys at Florin Gray Bouzas Owens, LLC to help you understand your rights.

Defining Religious Discrimination

Religious discrimination occurs when people treat others differently solely based on their religious affiliation. In the workplace, this can manifest as a negative reception of religious beliefs, religious practices, and any requests for accommodation of these beliefs. It also includes being treated differently during the employment process – such as not being hired for believing (or not believing) in a certain religion. If you are a victim of religious discrimination in the workplace, our religious discrimination lawyers can help.

Examples of religious discrimination are:

• Not being hired due to your religious beliefs
• Being fired due to your religious beliefs
• Being harassed and ostracized because of your religious beliefs
• Not being promoted due to your faith
• Failing to accommodate your beliefs, such as not working on the Sabbath

Types of Discrimination

Religious discrimination comes in many shapes and sizes – often, it’s not as blatant as you may think. There are three major types of religious discrimination:

• Disparate treatment – is the most direct form of religious discrimination – when people of a particular religion are specifically targeted. It can be intentional discrimination, such as when a policy explicitly limits those of a specific religion. Another example is when an employer states explicitly that prospective employees must practice a certain faith to be considered for a job.
• Disparate impact – is a form of discrimination is when a policy is put in place that is seemingly neutral but serves to exclude those of a particular religion. For example, a dress code policy that prohibits hats and headwear in the office indirectly affects those who subscribe to a belief that requires hijabs or any headwear.
• Hostile work environment- is a form of discrimination that happens when employers allow their employees to harass their coworkers based on faith. This is a direct, hateful form of discrimination that creates an intimidating and abusive work environment. If the company is aware of this discrimination and does not act to stop it, they may be held liable for any and all damages incurred.

Religious Discrimination Laws

Both federal and state laws protect religious discrimination in the workplace.

On the federal level, most forms of workplace discrimination are covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law states that it’s illegal for employers to discriminate against individuals because of their religion in all terms and conditions of employment, including:

• Hiring
• Firing
• Promotions
• Raises
• Bonuses
• Benefits
• Other job opportunities

Additionally, Title VII requires employers to accommodate any religious practices of an employee, unless doing so creates “undue hardship” on the employer. This includes things such as flexible scheduling and taking days off to observe religious holidays. Under Title VII, employers are also expected to enforce policies that prevent other employees within the company from taking part in religious discrimination in the workplace.

Employees are protected from religious discrimination in the workplace at the state level too. The Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 explicitly prohibits discrimination against employees on the basis of religion, as well as other protected categories, such as race, color, sex, handicap, and age.

How to File a Claim

If you believe you’ve been unfairly harassed due to your religious beliefs or faith, you can file a religious discrimination claim against your employer. These are the three main steps:

• Evidence gathering – can be one of the most challenging parts of a discrimination claim, as direct evidence is usually not found except in the most egregious cases. Often, discrimination can be a “he said, she said” situation. Because of this, it is best to notes on all actions where you are clearly being treated differently because of your sincerely held religious beliefs. It’s a good idea to gather witness statements from your coworkers – especially if they have the same experiences. One of them could be invaluable to your discrimination claim.
• Filing a claim of religious discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is the government agency that handles most claims of discrimination in the workplace. An official declaration of religious discrimination from the EEOC almost always guarantees that you have an excellent chance to recover full compensation for your damages.
• Filing a religious discrimination lawsuit

Religious and Workplace Discrimination Attorneys

Any claims alleging workplace discrimination require meticulous care for maximum compensation. Religious discrimination claims, in particular, require experience, education, and dedication to achieve success. Fortunately, the law offices of Florin Gray Bouzas Owens, LLC have the know-how in discrimination claims to take the stress off your shoulders and maximize your recovery. Protecting the rights of employees is our forte, and representing the worker (and not the corporation) is our passion.

Contact our religious discrimination attorneys today for a free consultation – if we choose to start the litigation process, you won’t pay a penny unless you win.