Religious discrimination in the workplace can occur in several forms, including differential treatment, harassment and failure to accommodate. Our Minneapolis lawyers could help you understand your religious rights and fight against unlawful workplace discrimination, retaliation, and harassment based on religion.
In Minnesota, employees are protected from religious discrimination and hostile treatment under state and federal law. Both the Minnesota Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) prohibit employers from treating workers or job applicants unfavorably or taking adverse employment actions against them on the basis of their religion.
Religious discrimination is treating an employee differently because of his or her religion, religious beliefs, or practices, or failing to consider a request for religious-based accommodations. Discrimination also includes harassment due to religious beliefs, particularly when the behavior or comments are so frequent or severe that they create a hostile work environment or result in adverse employment action.
Religious discrimination can involve many aspects of employment, such as recruitment, promotion, work assignments, training, and discipline. Adverse employment actions may include refusing to hire, failing to promote, terminating, or otherwise discriminating against someone because of his or her religious beliefs. During an initial consultation, our Minneapolis attorneys could provide additional information on forms of religious discrimination in the workplace.
“Religion” under Title VII includes “all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief.” Religion includes not only organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, but also sincerely held religious beliefs that may be newer and subscribed to by a smaller number of people.
It is illegal to harass an individual because of his or her religious beliefs. Teasing, an offhand comment, or an isolated incident on its own may not necessarily be illegal. However, your situation may be considered illegal harassment if the harassment becomes so severe or frequent that it creates a hostile work environment or if it results in demotion or termination. The harasser could be a supervisor, a co-worker, or even a client or customer. When in doubt, consult a seasoned race discrimination lawyer from Minneapolis.
Yes. An employer must reasonably accommodate an employee’s request for a religious accommodation, so long as it does not provide an undue hardship on the employer. An accommodation is a request for an adjustment or change to a workplace rule that otherwise infringes upon the employee’s ability to practice his or her religion. However, the accommodation request must be reasonable and be of minimal burden or cost to the employer. Common religious accommodations in the workplace include:
A Minneapolis attorney could also assist you in ensuring your employer allows you the religious accommodations you need and does not discriminate against you as a result.
To begin the accommodation process, an employee must make the employer aware of the need for accommodation and indicate that it is being requested due to a conflict between religion and work. While no magic words are required, an employee must provide enough information to make the employer aware of the conflict and that it is due to the employee’s religious practice or belief. After being made aware of the religious accommodation request, an employer is allowed to inquire and obtain additional information to determine whether the employer can accommodate the employee and what accommodations would be effective. For assistance, contact a Minneapolis-based workplace racial prejudice lawyer.
Title VII and the MHRA prohibit employers from punishing employees for opposing discriminatory practices and harassment. This is called retaliation, which can take many forms, including demotions, reduction in wages, and termination. An employee can oppose discriminatory practices, such as discrimination based on religion, failure to accommodate, and harassment, by making a verbal or written communication about the discrimination, filing a charge with the EEOC or the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, being a witness to an investigation about discriminatory practices, and other forms of opposition. For help determining whether you are experiencing racial discrimination, reach out to one of our Minneapolis lawyers.
Wanta Thome is dedicated to protecting the rights of employees throughout Minnesota. If you are experiencing discrimination, harassment, or retaliation from your employer due to your religion or a request for a religious accommodation, our Minneapolis race discrimination lawyers want to hear from you. Contact us for a free case evaluation.
Contact us for a complimentary consultation with an attorney from our experienced employment law team.
Stay informed, stay empowered, and remember, understanding your rights is the first step toward ensuring they are respected.
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