Employees should receive fair treatment in the workplace based on their skills or professional history, not on an employer’s biases. Discrimination occurs when businesses let a worker’s personal characteristics, rather than their professional capabilities, dictate their opportunities and treatment.
Employees have protection under the law from workplace discrimination. They should not have to accept mistreatment as a condition of their employment. Discrimination laws protect people from mistreatment based on their race, sex, age and religious beliefs.
Religious discrimination can affect employees with deeply-held personal beliefs. What are some of the warning signs of workplace religious discrimination?
Denied accommodations
Different religions impose different obligations. Some faiths require weekly church attendance. Others only require that people observe specific holy days or pray at certain times.
Employers should generally accommodate workers’ requests if they need time off to attend services or observe holy days. They should also receive consideration if they must modify the work uniform to align with religious requirements.
A hostile work environment
In some cases, supervisors or coworkers may treat an employee differently because of their beliefs. They may face abuse of treatment and harassment or exclusion from team-building opportunities. Employers should not allow a hostile work environment to develop and should intervene for the protection of employees facing this treatment because of their religious beliefs.
Professionals who experience religious discrimination in the workplace may need to take legal action to hold their employers accountable. If a company participates in the religious discrimination of a worker or refuses to address it, the targeted worker can potentially file a civil lawsuit to address the issue.