The U.S. Supreme Court has accepted a case that will shed light on what types of religious accommodations would be considered an excessive burden on employers. The court will hear the case during this term, but a date for oral arguments hasn’t been set yet. Background Under federal law, employers must reasonably accommodate all aspects of an employee’s religious observance or practice that can be accommodated without undue hardship on the employer’s business. Gerald Groff, a former postal worker, sued the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for failing to accommodate his religious practice. Groff is a Christian who observes a Sunday Sabbath. In 2013, the USPS signed a contract to deliver packages for Amazon, including on Sundays. In 2016, the USPS and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association entered a contract that established the process for scheduling employees for Sunday and holiday Amazon delivery. The USPS asked its rural carrier associates, like Groff, whether they wanted to work on Sundays and holidays. Based on their responses, the USPS created two lists: volunteers and nonvolunteers. For Sundays and holidays, the USPS first scheduled assistant rural carriers. If this was insufficient, management then scheduled from the volunteer list on a rotating basis. […]
