The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII). Title VII requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s and applicant’s sincerely held religious beliefs. Failure to provide reasonable accommodations can have significant consequences for employers, including costly litigation and claims, and decreased employee morale.
Some best practices employers may implement to comply with their religious accommodations include:
- Establishing a written religious accommodations policy;
- Training managers and supervisors;
- Recognizing when a request for a reasonable accommodation has been made;
- Engaging in the interactive process;
- Creating records of the accommodation process;
- Considering undue hardship; and
- Selecting a reasonable accommodation.
Click the following link to read our Compliance Overview: Employer Best Practices for Religious Accommodations
