Fight Back Against Illegal Religious Discrimination
If illegal bias against your religion impacts your career, you deserve to have experienced guidance to help you seek justice. Our team at Fisher | Taubenfeld LLP stands up for employees who have been victims of discrimination, and our attorneys are not afraid to go to court to hold biased employers accountable. We represent employees in the New York City area and New Jersey.
Federal And State Law Protect You From Discrimination
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against individuals because of religion. People who belong to traditional, organized religions (i.e., Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc.), as well as other individuals who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs are protected.
Religious discrimination occurs when an employer treats an applicant or employee unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs or because of his or her association with an individual of a particular religious group.
Thus, an employer cannot treat an employee differently because of an employee’s religious beliefs or practices. Nor may an employer force an employee to participate in or prohibit an employee from participating in a religious activity as a condition of employment.
New York City and New York State Human Rights laws also protect employees and applicants from discrimination on the basis of religion in workplaces with four or more employees.
You Have A Right To Accommodations For Your Faith
Employers are also required to reasonably accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious practices unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer. Reasonable accommodations extend to religious dress or grooming practices.
For example, an employer may have to allow an employee to wear a head covering (i.e., a Muslim headscarf or a Sikh turban) or maintain facial hair. Similarly, an employer may be required to honor an employee’s religious proscription against wearing certain garments (such as pants or miniskirts).
Contact Fisher | Taubenfeld LLP
You do not have to choose between following your faith and the future of your career. We offer employees in New York and New Jersey a free and confidential phone consultation to discuss issues of discrimination. Send an email or call 646-741-3490, to learn more about how we can help you fight workplace discrimination.