Religious Discrimination Attorney
Don’t Let Religious Discrimination Destroy Your Career!
Religious liberty and tolerance are core tenants of the United States Constitution, which protects all Americans from government-imposed religious persecution. Unfortunately, there are still instances of religious discrimination in the workplace. If you have been fired, disciplined, or otherwise discriminated against by your employer because they think your religious beliefs are incompatible with their business practices, you may be entitled to seek damages under the Civil Rights Act and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
If you’re an employee who feels like you’ve been wrongfully terminated or discriminated against based on your sincere religious beliefs, we can help! The attorneys at Hershey Law will fight for your rights and get you the justice you deserve. We’ll work diligently to hold the offending parties accountable for their wrongful behavior. Call us at 310-929-2190 to learn more about how we can help you.
What Is Religion Discrimination?
The term “religion” refers to any belief about divine power or purpose, including, but not limited to Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. This definition also includes the practice of religious traditions such as prayer, scripture study, participation in community activities, and religious ceremonies.
Religious discrimination in the workplace occurs when an individual experiences unlawful discrimination because of their religion, which has two components: Disparate Treatment and Reasonable Accommodations.
Disparate Treatment
- Disparate treatment occurs when there is an intentional impact on a person due to their belonging to a protected group. In other words, if the defendant intentionally treats one protected group member differently than another, this constitutes disparate treatment.
- For example, an employment agency refuses to hire an applicant who states he is Jewish because they do not want to become associated with that religion. The employer can be reported to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission if they intentionally discriminated against job applicants based on membership to a certain religion.
Reasonable Accommodations
- Reasonable accommodation violations occur when an employer fails to reasonably accommodate an individual’s religious needs, causing the individual to suffer adverse job consequences.
- These reasonable accommodations include allowing employees to observe daily prayers, work flexible hours during a holiday, or wear specific religious wear. An employer must provide these accommodations unless doing so imposes an undue hardship.
Examples of Workplace Religious Discrimination
Religious harassment is a form of workplace discrimination where unwelcome conduct related to organized religions results in psychological harm or tangible detriment to a person’s well-being.
Some of the types of conduct that constitute religious harassment include:
- Being denied promotions and pay increases because of religious practice.
- Being subjected to derogatory remarks or jokes about religious beliefs.
- Being fired or disciplined for refusal to perform religious duties.
- Denying accommodations for religious holidays.
- Having a hiring preference for persons who belong to a particular religion.
- Being subject to a hostile work environment created by co-workers and supervisors.
- Being forced to take part in religious practices that conflict with own beliefs.
Other forms of unlawful religious discrimination arise from disparate impact due to specific policies or practices that disproportionately impact a protected group. If you have been discriminated against because of your religion, contact us today to discuss your case. Our religious discrimination lawyers at Hershey Law will fight for your legal rights.
Laws Protecting Employees From Religious Discrimination in California
- The Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits all forms of unlawful discrimination in employment, including religious discrimination. FEHA also protects individuals from retaliation following any action taken under its provisions.
- The California Workplace Religious Freedom Act further protects employees in the state. It includes all aspects of religious belief, observance, and practice, including religious clothing or dress code, grooming practices, diet, manner of speech, behavior, and exercise of religious practices.
- Under the California Code of Regulations, Section 11062, employers must make reasonable efforts to accommodate the religious practices of their employees. If your employer failed to accommodate your religious needs, they may have violated this regulation. Employers must provide reasonable accommodation if it does not cause an “undue” burden on the business.
If a person’s religious practices are being discriminated against – such as being fired or disciplined for asking for reasonable religious accommodations – they may seek damages from the employer under California state law or federal law. At Hershey Law, our Los Angeles religious discrimination lawyers assist employees who were unlawfully terminated or treated unfairly in the workplace.
Contact Our Highly Skilled Religious Discrimination Lawyers Today!
At Hershey Law, we understand how frustrating it can be when you experience religious discrimination in the workplace. Your right to freely exercise the religion of your choosing has been infringed upon. We also know how difficult it can be for victims of workplace discrimination to find representation for their legal claims. That is why we strive to give every client personalized attention and excellent representation.
Contact Hershey Law today by calling 310-929-2190 to discuss filing a religious discrimination claim with one of our religious discrimination attorneys.