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Why You Need to Hire an Attorney if Fired Over Religious Beliefs

Oct. 4, 2021

Religious discrimination at work can take a toll on your emotional and psychological well-being. It is important to note that it is also illegal in Illinois. Hiring a wrongful termination lawyer in Naperville should be your priority if you are fired for your religious beliefs.

What Is Religious Discrimination?

If a job candidate or an employee has negative experiences or is treated poorly at their workplace because of their religious beliefs, they have cause to sue. As per state and federal laws, employers cannot discriminate against their employees based on their religion or beliefs. This type of discrimination usually occurs when there is a conflict between work hours and worshipping hours.

Besides accommodating work hours for religious employees, employers should also make reasonable accommodations for employees with specific religious practices. An excellent example of this is allowing employees to take Sundays off as per religious beliefs and accommodate their work hours accordingly.

However, this doesn't mean that the employer has to face undue hardship to be accommodating. Accommodations can be granted as per work standards.

As per Title VII of the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA), employers cannot harass employees because of their religion or religious beliefs. This can be offhand comments or simple teasing, incidents that are frequent enough to merit an investigation. Isolated incidents, on the other hand, do not fall under this category.

Why You Should Hire A Wrongful Termination Lawyer In Naperville If You Are Fired For Religious Beliefs

Without a wrongful termination lawyer in Naperville in your corner, your employer may get away with religious discrimination. Unlike a lawyer, you may not have the knowledge or resources to make them take responsibility for their actions.

As per Illinois law, no employer can make job decisions based on religious beliefs, even if the employee in focus is an atheist. For instance, employers:

  • cannot refuse to hire Catholics, Muslims, or Jews or make them undergo punishments more harshly than other employees.

  • Force employees to adopt their religious beliefs or criticize them for lack of theirs’.

  • Favor employees of a particular religion and refuse to hire employees that have other religious backgrounds.

In either of these cases, proving that the employer is displaying religious discrimination can be tricky unless you have an experienced lawyer in your corner. If you were fired because of your religious beliefs, your lawyer could help you collect evidence that proves your case. However, discrimination can be easier to verify if an employer admits they are religiously biased.

On the other hand, while direct evidence can be challenging to acquire, your attorney can collect circumstantial proof to strengthen your case. Wrongful termination lawyers in Schaumburg who have decades of experience working on such matters and are passionate about their work can ensure you get the compensation you deserve.

Call the Law Office of Michael T. Smith & Associates in Schaumburg at 847-750-3851 for a consultation today. We are eager to take on clients who have been the targets of discrimination at work based on their religion, race, or origin.

You may not be aware of this, but there are protections in place that can defend you against such negative actions. You can also contact us if you think a colleague is being discriminated against and is too afraid to approach a lawyer.