Religious Protections in the Workplace
By Thomas Ricotta on October 18th, 2016 in In The News
Sadly, in New York and greater America today, the anti-Islam sentiment is strong. As such, Islam peoples, as well as those who are commonly mistaken as being Islam, including Sikhs, are often discriminated against. To be sure, a U.S. presidential candidate has even proposed a ban on Muslims entering the country, and this proposition and the negative connotation surrounding this religion has been proliferated by the media. If you are Muslim, Sikh, or any other religion for that matter and find yourself facing discrimination in the workplace as a direct result of your religious beliefs, there are laws in place to protect you.
Religious Discrimination in New York
Religious discrimination in the workplace is prohibited by federal law. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission explains that the law prohibits religious discrimination when it comes to any areas of employment, including hiring, pay, types of work and job assignments, firing, benefits, and any other aspects related to a person’s employment. Religious discrimination is defined by the commission as treating an individual unfavorably because of their religious beliefs.
In addition to not actively taking action against an employer because of their religious beliefs (i.e. firing, refusing to hire, demoting, reducing pay, etc.), an employer also has a legal obligation to make reasonable accommodations for employees of certain religious beliefs. For example, if a person is required to engage in prayer, per the tenets of their religion, a certain number of times per day, the employer must allow for this so long as the activity does not cause more than a “minimal burden” on the employer’s business operations.
Employers must also allow for religious garb to be worn the workplace. For example, employers must allow their employees to wear religious clothing such as head covering or turbans, and must not force employees to wear clothing that is an objection to their religious beliefs (like revealing uniforms or pants).
What to Do if Facing Religious Discrimination
Anti-Muslim sentiment in the country is high right now, and Muslims and those thought to be Muslim are facing high levels of discrimination and persecution. If you believe that your religion may have something to do with the way that your employer is treating you, or if you have been denied religious protections per federal law in your place of work, it is important that you seek the counsel of skilled NY religious discrimination attorneys.
At the law office of Ricotta & Marks, P.C., our talented NY religious discrimination lawyer can help you to understand your rights and how to protect those rights. We understand that you likely have fears of repercussions – we will advocate on your behalf to ensure that retaliatory actions against you are not taken. To schedule a free case review with our team today, call us now at (347) 464-8694 or fill out our online form.