Religious Discrimination and Harassment: Know Your Rights

Religious discrimination and harassment occurs when your boss, supervisor, or co-workers treat you unfairly because your religious or philosophical beliefs differ from theirs.  It can also stem from the religious beliefs of someone you are associated with.  Discrimination and harassment on the basis of a person’s religion are prohibited under the Federal, State, and New York City law. The major legislative act protecting people from religious discrimination and harassment is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act which outlaws any forms of discrimination or harassment on the basis of a person’s race, color, religious beliefs, sex, etc.

Religious Discrimination

Basically there are two types of religious discrimination: direct and indirect discrimination.

Direct discrimination occurs when you are treated unfavorably because someone doesn’t appreciate your religious beliefs, or the beliefs of a person or group of people you are associated with.
Indirect discrimination happens when the company you are working for has seemingly neutral policies or procedures that put you and people who share your religious beliefs at a disadvantage.

Religious Harassment

Religious harassment is any offensive conduct that is frightening or intimidating for people of certain religious or philosophical beliefs and leads to a hostile, degrading work environment. Harassment may be obvious or hidden.  It can be based either on a person’s religious practices, a religion as such, or a religious belief a person is associated with.  Religious harassment may be targeted at an individual as well as at a group of people.  It may take the form of degrading jokes, comments or other types of physical and verbal conduct.

Preventing religious discrimination and harassment

In order to prevent religious discrimination and harassment in the workplace employers are required to provide certain accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of their workers, when it is possible without ‘undue hardship’ for the company. Common types of such accommodation may take the form of flexible working hours, modification of workplace procedures or company’s dress-code, voluntary shifts and changes of job assignments, etc.  That doesn’t mean, however, that employers must provide for whatever accommodation an employee asks.  For instance, you may be allowed to make up for the time you don’t work due to religious observance, or take an unpaid day-off.

Fighting religious discrimination and harassment

Everyone has the right to be treated fairly in the workplace.  However, if you feel that you’re harassed or discriminated because of your religious beliefs or practices, your first step to exercise this right will be filing a complaint to your employer or to the upper management of your company.  If there’s an official grievance procedure, use it.  Explain the situation and require putting a stop to the unwelcome conduct or unfair treatment.  Keep track of all the discussions with the management as well as be sure to keep a copy of every document related to the matter.  Unless the company takes satisfactory measures, contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or state equivalent agency, that will help you resolve the conflict or take legal action.  We advise contacting our office for assistance and guidance if you suspect that you are the target of Religious Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace.

New York Religious Discrimination and Harassment Lawyers

Hire a NYC Religious Discrimination Lawyer or a NY Long Island Religious Discrimination Lawyer if you are a victim of religious intolerance in the workplace; New York Religious Discrimination Lawyers from Employment Lawyer New York are top attorneys in their field and are proud to provide their clients with valuable protection from religious harassment.

Employment Lawyer New York has New York religious discrimination lawyers serving the following areas: Manhattan, New York City, Nassau County NY, Suffolk County NY, Carle Place NY, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Retain a New York religious discrimination attorney from Employment Lawyer New York and they will do their best to handle your religious discrimination case. Religious intolerance, whether it is insulting jokes, preferential treatment towards members of a certain religion or unfair treatment towards members of a different religion, or even a layoff or termination that you think is the result of someone’s religious beliefs, is unacceptable in the workplace. Any of these examples of religious discrimination violate your employee rights and are likely to lead to a hostile work environment that puts a strain on all employees in the workplace.

Your religious beliefs are your own personal business, and they should not affect your employer’s or your co-workers’ opinion or treatment of you. The amount of money employees make, their prospects for promotion, and their job positions should have nothing do with the employees’ religions.

Employee Rights, Religion and Religious Beliefs in the Workplace

In order to prevent religious discrimination and harassmentin the workplace employers are required to provide certain accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of their workers, when it is possible without ‘undue hardship’ for the company. Common types of such accommodation may take the form of flexible working hours, modification of workplace procedures or company’s dress-code, voluntary shifts and changes of job assignments, etc. That doesn’t mean, however, that employers must provide for whatever accommodation an employee asks. For instance, you may be allowed to make up for the time you don’t work due to religious observance, or take an unpaid day-off.

If you are a victim of religious discrimination, do not wait to search Employment Lawyer New York for New York religious discrimination lawyers, a NY Long Island religious discrimination lawyer, or a NYC religious discrimination lawyer; Employment Lawyer New York’s religious discrimination lawyers are guaranteed to provide their clients with the best legal help in their religious discrimination case.