Religious Discrimination Attorney

Examples of Religious Discrimination at Work

Some examples of religious discrimination at work include:

• Insulting comments about turbans, yarmulkes, hijabs, or other religious attire
• Insinuating or mocking questions about religious beliefs, deities, or places of worship
• Sexual harassment over religious beliefs or practices with respect to relationships or marriage
• Wrongful termination or refusal to promote someone because of their faith
• Refusing to interview or hire a prospective employee on the basis of religion
• Unwillingness to make reasonable accommodations related to an employee's faith

If you've experienced any of the above situations, you need to speak with a religious discrimination lawyer. Our law office in Allen, TX, is here to offer legal counsel. We help clients from Plano, Frisco, Dallas, Fort Worth, and across North Texas.

According to a 2021 survey from the Pew Research Center, Christians comprise more than 60% of the American population, while the non-religious and religiously unaffiliated comprise almost 30% of the American populace. Even though this makes up the majority of the U.S. population, both Christians and the non-religious can face discrimination over their beliefs.

Religious Discrimination and Christianity

There are more than 200 denominations of Christianity in the United States. Religious differences between Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Evangelicals, and Episcopalians can be fruitful for spiritual or theological conversation, but they can turn into employment discrimination if disagreements affect someone's treatment at work.

If factions develop along religious lines at work or if a company only hires or promotes people of a certain Christian denomination, there may be a legal claim worth pursuing.

Discrimination Against the Non-Religious

The non-religious describes various groups unaffiliated with organized religion. This includes atheists, agnostics, and those who believe in a higher power but do not attend any church services. The number of Americans expressing no religious affiliation has grown over the years as other religious affiliations have declined.

As with other groups, the non-religious can be targets of harassment or ridicule, including attempts at religious conversion, getting passed up for a raise or promotion, or getting fired.

Reasonable Accommodations for Religious Practices

A religious accommodation means minor changes to the work environment to help employees avoid undue hardships while practicing their faith or adhering to their religious principles.

Examples of religious-based reasonable accommodations include:

• Allowing time off for religious holidays or religious services
• Allowing time and/or space at the workplace for an employee to pray or practice their religion
• Making exceptions to dress code, such allowing a Jewish person to wear a yarmulke or a Muslim person to wear a hijab
• Making exceptions to grooming or shaving policies, such as allowing a Sikh or Rastafarian employee to grow their hair

If an employer does not allow for reasonable accommodations, you should speak with an attorney about filing a religious discrimination claim.