Settlement Highlights Importance of Religious Accommodation in the Workplace

The Teeth Doctors, a North Carolina dental company, will pay $61,000 to a former employee to settle a religious discrimination claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission(EEOC) - The Teeth Doctors to Pay $61,000 to Resolve EEOC Religious Discrimination Charge | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The investigation revealed that the company, run by dentist Jeremiah C. Davis in Fayetteville, violated federal law by refusing to accommodate the employee's request to wear a scrub skirt instead of pants due to her sincerely held religious beliefs, ultimately leading to her termination.

Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and protected activity. The statute defines "religion" as including "all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief," unless an employer can demonstrate that accommodating such beliefs imposes an undue hardship. "Undue hardship" is defined as more than a minimal cost, a standard that is less stringent than that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These protections apply whether the religious beliefs or practices in question are common or non-traditional and regardless of whether they are recognized by any organized religion.

Employers must actively avoid any form of religious discrimination, which can include unfair treatment based on an individual's religious beliefs or a failure to offer appropriate accommodations for those beliefs. This case underscores the importance of understanding and complying with these protections in the workplace.

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