Religious discrimination involves treating an employee or an applicant unfavorably merely because of her or his religion. The religious laws in the State of California offer protection, not only to individuals who belong to traditional organized religions including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism but also to others who have held religious, moral or ethical beliefs sincerely.

It is also important to note that discrimination related to religion may also involve treating a person differently because the individual is associated with or is married to a person of a particular religion.

Religious Discrimination in Work Conditions.

The law prohibits any form of discrimination in the hiring, pay, firing, promotions, layoff, job assignments, training, fringe benefits or any other form of employment condition regarding religious affiliations or beliefs. This implies that any business must not discriminate against a worker or those associated with another employee because of her/his religion.

Therefore every business must have a complaints policy that covers any form of religious harassment.

Examples of harassment may include:

Discouraging religious expression in the form of tattoos or even dreadlocks, that demonstrate offensive remarks regarding religious beliefs about an individual’s practices or beliefs, a particular dress, that is a sign of a religious belief.

Religious Accommodation/ Grooming and dress policy.

An employer must accommodate a worker’s religious practices and beliefs at all cost unless it would result in an undue hardship on the operation of the businesses of the company. This does not only apply to leave for religious purposes and scheduled changes alone, but grooming and dressing codes are also accommodated. For example, employers should promote the following: The wearing of certain head coverings or any other religious clothes including Muslim headscarf or a Jewish Yarmulke. The religious accommodation policy should also cover a worker’s observance of a religious prohibition against putting on certain garments, such as miniskirts and pants.

When an applicant or an employee is in need of grooming or a dress accommodation due to religious reasons, that particular employee should inform the employer that he/she needs such an accommodation. If in any case, the employer needs additional information regarding the issue, both the employer and the employee should take part in an interactive engagement so as to find a reliable solution to the request. If it is evident that it would not lead to undue hardship, the employer should issue or provide the accommodation.

Undue hardship, Reasonable accommodation in Religious Discrimination.

The law says that employers may not have to encourage the beliefs of employees or any practices by them if doing so would cause undue hardship to the employers. To be much more precise, accommodation is likely to result in undue hardship to the employer if it comprises workplace safety, infringes on the rights and privileges of the other workers, costly, reduces workplace productivity and efficiency, or if it requires employees to perform more than their share of potentially onerous or hazardous task.

Segregation and Religious discrimination.

Title VII prohibits workplace segregation based on religious beliefs and practices. And this includes religious garb and grooming habits, such assigning a worker to a contact position that is considered a non-customer, either due to feared or actual client preference.

Employment practices and Religious discrimination.

The law also says that as an employee, you should never be forced in any manner whatsoever, to take part in a particular religious activity, as an employment condition.
If you have been a religious discrimination victim in the workplace at any point in time, please contact and schedule an appointment with the religious discrimination layers near you, to help determine whether or not you have a case.

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Religious discrimination simply involves treating an individual (an employee or applicant) unfavorably because of his/her beliefs. It can also involve treating a person differently because he or she is married to a person belonging to a particular culture or religion. This write- up will focus on briefing you on what you need to know about religious accommodation in California workplace.

What you Need to Know About Religious Accommodation in the State of California

Religious discrimination claims in most states are routinely filed under Federal law in Federal Court. However, in California, these claims are filed routinely in state court. Attorneys often prefer that since they believe that state law often offers stronger protection for employees when compared with Federal law. This is why you will find most lawyers in California preferring most cases that involve workers to be handled in state court.

Religious Discrimination and Harassment

It’s illegal to harass an individual because of his/her religion not only in work places but also in other places. Examples of harassment scenarios in work places can include a person coming with offensive remarks about another person’s religious practices and beliefs. Basically, despite the fact that the law of California State does not prohibit offhand comments, isolated incidents or simple teasing which are not very serious, harassment is illegal each time it’s so severe or frequent to an extent that it ends up creating an offensive or hostile environment.

Religious Discrimination & Segregation

Title VII of the law governing the state of California prohibits job or work place segregation based on matters pertaining religion (including religious garb as well as grooming practices), like assigning employees to non- customer contact positions due to feared consumer preference.

Religious Discrimination and Work Situations

The law strictly forbids also discrimination based on any aspect of employment such as firing, hiring, promotions, job assignments as well as other condition of term of employment using discrimination religious wise.

Do Employers Have to Give Employees Time off for Religious Holidays?

An employer has to offer a reasonable accommodation to his or her employee if he/she was unable to attend work on a certain day due to a religious observance or holiday. Therefore, it is ideal that you alert your employer on time about the holidays that your religion recognize so that you can make proper scheduling arrangements.

Last, but definitely not the least, in case you require legal assistance or more information about religious accommodation in California workplace, kindly don’t hesitate clicking the following site i.e. http://www.california-labor-law-attorney.com/. Thank you.

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