Takeaway: An employee who has been fired may attempt to challenge the dismissal under one or more anti-discrimination laws. However, the worker is required to provide enough evidence in support of the claim to merit a court’s review—a simple allegation of wrongdoing is not enough. An employer’s best defense is to have clear workplace policies in place, document that a termination was done in accordance with those policies and show that it has applied such policies consistently. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s dismissal of two employees’ religious discrimination claim, finding that the facts did not support any plausible inference that the employees had been fired for practicing their Christian beliefs. The employer, Amedisys, provides in-home services for health, hospice, personal and palliative care. It hired the two defendants in 2019 to provide skilled nursing care to the employer’s clients. In 2020, in compliance with state COVID-19 directives and guidance, the employer instituted a series of safety precautions to protect its employees and its Medicare and Medicaid patients from exposures, including limiting gatherings. In December 2020, the defendants hosted a Christmas party at one of their homes, which many of their co-workers attended. […]
