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How religious accommodations can prevent workplace discrimination

On Behalf of | Jun 8, 2022 | employee rights |

Balancing your religious practices with your workplace demands can sometimes be a challenging and emotional experience, especially if your employer has not made accommodations to create a more inclusive work environment.

Protecting yourself from unfair treatment requires recognizing common ways workplace enforcement can infringe on your sacred beliefs.

Grooming standards

Your company might have grooming standards that dictate which hairstyles or facial hair are acceptable for employees to wear. In some cases, enforcement of these guidelines results in a violation of your right to religious expression.

If your faith prevents you from being able to cut your hair or shave your face, your employer might need to provide exceptions to allow you to work without compromising your beliefs.

Dress code violations

Regardless of where you work, your company likely has a dress code to promote a desired corporate image. If your beliefs require you to wear clothing that the guidelines do not allow, such as headscarves, turbans, or yarmulkes, you may be able to receive an exemption from these violations.

Time off requests

Scheduling conflicts are an unavoidable reality, regardless of where you work. When your work schedule interferes with your ability to observe a religious holiday or follow the core tenets of your faith, it can create a problem.

If you cannot work on a particular day for faith-based reasons, you might be able to get a more flexible schedule.

When workplace guidelines conflict with religious ones, communicating your need for accommodation with your employer can allow them to develop acceptable and reasonable solutions to protect your right to religious expression.