YOU HAVE RIGHTS AND WE CAN HELP AGAINST RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION! CALL US TODAY
You deserve to be treated with respect in the workplace. You should not be harassed or discriminated against because of your race, gender, sexuality, national origin, and religious beliefs. In fact, it is illegal for employers to violate your protected rights if you want to practice your faith in the office.
If you have good reason to believe that you have been a victim of religious discrimination, then you should hire an employment attorney in Los Angeles.
The Law’s View of Religion
You need not belong to a large and well-known religious organization to receive protection under this law. The law defines religion as a person’s beliefs about the ultimate questions that have confronted humankind since the dawn of civilization: beliefs about life, death, purpose, and the larger meanings of human existence. You are still covered even if you are part of a sect or offshoot of a larger religious organization or you hold a different interpretation of your religion than most others. The main point is that they are your sincerely held and deeply personal beliefs, and no one has any right to punish you for them.
Protection for Atheists
The last twenty years have seen a significant rise in the number of people who identify as “nones”—people who belong to no specific religion and may hold no religious beliefs. There has been an unfortunate backlash, and in many cases, non-believers get shut out of job opportunities because of what they don’t believe.
Your right not to believe is protected under Title VII. Indeed, your right to adhere to a philosophical system that denies the existence of God is considered a sincerely held personal belief under this law. You may even belong to a group that actively works against organized religion in politics and the wider public sphere. As long as you do not bring this activism to the workplace, you cannot be punished for it.
It should be noted that not all personal beliefs are religious. You may hold certain beliefs about politics, economics, and society that your religion may inform, but that does not make them religious beliefs. To be sure, the right to hold these beliefs is protected in general but not necessarily in the workplace. For example, an organization need not hire or retain a person who adheres to a racist, sexist, or homophobic ideology. Religious freedom cannot be invoked to defend such a person’s right to employment and opportunity.
Reasonable Accommodation
Employers must do all that they can to accommodate the rituals and practices associated with religious beliefs. The world is a much busier place than it once was. However, meetings scheduled on the sabbath of Islam, Judaism, or Christianity must be done in a way that allows individuals to attend services.
The same goes for religious holidays. Although the U.S. only recognizes Christian holidays as national holidays, allowance must be made for people of different faiths to celebrate important days and events on the calendar. Body coverings, tattoos, and piercings are also part of some religious practices. These should be allowed even if they do not comply with the company’s dress code.
Determining a Sincerely Held Belief
There are federally established guidelines that determine whether a person is acting from a sincerely held religious belief. Some of the factors that indicate an employee is not acting include:
-Behavior that is inconsistent with their professed belief
-Evidence that the employee is seeking a material benefit
-Suspect timing for certain requests
The Most Common Kinds of Discrimination
The warning signs of religious discrimination are not always apparent. Suppose you are in an organization that is owned and managed by Catholics. You notice that only Catholic employees are invited to informal social events and given insights into advancing. A Los Angeles workplace law firm would consider this as a strong religious discrimination case.
Your legal counsel will also protect you against harassment and conduct that is so severe and pervasive that it creates an atmosphere of intimation and constant hostility. If you are constantly mocked because of your beliefs or are forced to hear cruel comments, then you should report the perpetrators to the proper authorities in your company. If nothing gets done to combat this harassment, then your employer should be held accountable. A religious discrimination lawyer in Los Angeles can advise you on the best action to take.
If you are denied a reasonable accommodation to celebrate the holy days of your religion, then you must likewise hold your employer accountable. In this instance, you may want to try to reason with your manager. If you can still get the work done, there is no reason you should not be able to observe your religion’s sabbath or other special days. An LA religious discrimination lawyer can help you get justice if you have been unfairly treated.
When to Launch a Lawsuit
Filing a lawsuit against their employer is not something that most people want to do. However, you should not resign from being treated unfairly. If you have experienced mistreatment for your religious belief in Los Angeles, then you are probably not alone in the organization. If every attempt to resolve the company’s situation has failed, allow our workplace discrimination attorney to intervene.
At the very instant that you experience discrimination for religious belief, you should start documenting the incidents. All emails, text messages, and social media posts that indicate such prejudice should be saved and sent to your private account. Victimized employees who get wrongfully terminated can also retain the services of a discrimination attorney – as this is a form of retaliation for speaking up and addressing adverse treatment.
If you have been discriminated against for what you do or do not believe, you should contact a lawyer for victims of workplace discrimination. We will take the appropriate legal steps to get you justice and compensation!