Dive Brief:
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Religious discrimination in the workplace is not something employers should take lightly. In fiscal year 2015, the EEOC received 3,502 charges alleging discrimination on the basis of religion, yet many younger workers may not know what their options are when it comes to the issue.
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With that in mind, the EEOC released a new fact sheet, Religion and Your Job Rights, which offers young workers information to better understand their rights and responsibilities under the federal employment anti-discrimination laws.
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At the same time, the EEOC announced plans to improve data collection related to religious discrimination and raise outreach efforts on the subject. In addition, there is a new community engagement initiative, Combating Religious Discrimination Today, which brought together EEOC and other federal agencies to promote religious freedom, challenge religious discrimination, and enhance efforts to combat religion-based hate violence and crimes.
Dive Insight:
Among the more than 3,500 discrimination claims on the basis of religion, the top issues alleged were discharge, harassment, terms and conditions of employment, and reasonable accommodation.
The EEOC filed 73 lawsuits since the beginning of fiscal year 2010, including five in FY 2015, involving claims of religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. During the same period, the Commission recovered approximately $4 million, as well as other important types of relief, for victims of religious discrimination.
While the issue of religion in the workplace in general is important, employers need to be very careful about how they factor religion into their hiring practices. Employers looking to bolster their efforts to avoid these types of lawsuits should connect with EEOC, which offers several informational articles, including Questions and Answers: Religious Discrimination in the Workplace and Best Practices for Eradicating Religious Discrimination in the Workplace.
