07.31.06
Religious Accommodation and the Workplace
As diverse as our employees are, so are their religious beliefs. While many may argue that strongly held religious beliefs should not impact the workplace, they do. In fact, in some cases, they also require reasonable accommodation.The most obvious forms of reasonable accommodation include providing an employee time-off to observe a religious holiday or event. In many cases, vacation and flex time cover these occurrences. However, a recent court ruling suggests that employers also have a responsibility to reasonably accommodate one’s religious beliefs — even if they may conflict with the company’s.
A nurse at a hospital was up for a promotion and was asked if she was willing to dispense emergency contraception, i.e., the “morning-after pill.” Her response was that she was opposed to emergency contraception because she believed it was a form of abortion, and it violated her religious beliefs. The hospital passed her up for the promotion and went with another employee who did not object to dispensing the contraception. The nurse sued and won on this claim. Nead v. Bd. of Trustees of E. Ill. Univ., CD Ill., No. 05-2137 (6/6/06).
The impact on employers: When possible, an employer is required to provide reasonable accommodation for an employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs.
