Religion Discrimination: Know Your Rights
Nov. 20, 2018
The United States is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. In light of history of devastation caused due to hatred fueled by religious intolerance, U.S. has devised various laws and regulations to protect rights of different religious groups. Unfortunately, religious discrimination is still prevailing in the United States, especially against minorities. Religious discrimination refers to unfavorable and unjust treatment against an individual due to their religious background.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) protects people who belong from an organized, traditional religion such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism, amongst others. Moreover, it also provides protection to people who have specifically held ethical, moral, or religious beliefs.
How Does Religious Discrimination Take Place?
Most common occurrences of religious discrimination are usually observed in a workplace. This may include many aspects including promotion, hiring, training, assignments, holidays, amongst different terms and conditions pertaining to employment. Moreover, Title VII also prohibits employers to assign an employee from a particular religious background to a position where they will not interact because of customer preference.
That is not it, law also requires an employer to make necessary modifications to policies and adjustments to work environment that will facilitate employees to practice their respective religion without discomfort and problem. In addition to that, they must allow employees to dress and groom per accordance to their religion. For instance, Muslim women must be permitted to wear a scarf and men may keep long beards. Similarly, Sikhs may wear a turban and keep uncut hair and beards. To conclude, an employer must provide reasonable accommodation to their employees as long as it does not cause them undue hardship.
Unfortunately, religious discrimination is not only limited to workplace environment but different aspects of one’s life. For instance, an individual may also be discriminated due to their faith when purchasing a house, shop, or other type of property. Moreover, harassment can also take place in stores, malls, and even streets, which involves making offensive remarks about one’s belief, showing hatred towards their religion, and in some extreme cases, creating a hostile environment for them.
If you believe you have been a victim of religious discrimination, it can be highly beneficial for you to obtain legal services of an experienced employment discrimination lawyer. Your attorney will ensure that your rights remain protected during the course of the litigation process. A skillful employment discrimination lawyer will gather evidence to construct a solid case in your favor. Using their vast experience and knowledge pertaining to laws that are relevant to your case, a seasoned employment discrimination lawyer will establish facts and devise an effective strategy to prove your claim, which will help you to get justice.
If you want to know more about this subject or want to schedule a free consultation with an experienced employment discrimination lawyer, it is highly recommended for you to contact the Law Office of Michael Smith.