Spending the majority of your time in the workplace, you should have the freedom to practice your religion, as established by various laws and regulations that protect religious expression in work environments. Your employer must respect these rights and promote a work environment where different beliefs are respected.
Below, we tell you more about these rights and how they protect you so that you can practice your religion without being discriminated against.
Civil Rights Act of 1964:
Within the provisions of this law, employers or co-workers are prohibited from discriminating against a person based on the religion he or she professes. Under federal law, employers must accommodate a worker’s religious beliefs and practices unless they are unreasonable and affect the operations of the company or its workforce.
Reasonable accommodations:
Employers are required to make reasonable accommodations to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, such as flexible scheduling for religious practices, allowing certain clothing or grooming practices, or providing space for prayer.
Equal treatment:
Employees have the right to be treated equally in the workplace regardless of their religious beliefs. If any member of the organization in which you work harasses you, retaliates against you, or discriminates against you because of your beliefs, they would be committing an illegal act that must be reported immediately.
Freedom of expression:
Workers have the right to express their religion and all beliefs that this implies in the workplace, as long as it is within reasonable limits and does not disrupt work activities.
Religious policies within the workplace:
Employers may establish reasonable policies regulating religious expression at work as long as these policies do not restrict an employee’s ability to practice his or her religion.
Employees who face discrimination or any type of prohibition against professing their religion at work can file their complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. You can also take legal action with the help of an employment law attorney to guide you through your process. Remember that at El Litigante, we are here to enforce your rights, and we are not afraid to confront your employer.