Whenever there is a change in federal administrations, employers must be aware of how various employment laws, rules and regulations will change. One hot topic in employment law, which has seen significant change in recent years, is religious discrimination and accommodation of religious beliefs in the workplace. This issue is pertinent, not only because of the recent change in administrations, but also because of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (“EEOC”) January 2021 revisions to the agency’s Compliance Manual Section on Religious Discrimination, which is the first such update since 2008. While the Compliance Manual does not have the force of law, it does establish how the EEOC analyzes claims of religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), and provides useful guidance to employers. Background on Title VII Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion (or lack of religious belief) in hiring, firing, or any other terms and conditions of employment. The law also prohibits an employer from imposing religion on its employees, with the exception of religious institutions which are immune from federal employment related civil rights statutes brought by certain employees. In addition, Title VII requires […]
