A Religious Discrimination Lawyer Can Protect Your Rights
Religious discrimination lawyer Chris Olsen in San Diego, CA, can fight to secure compensation and ensure that your rights are protected in the workplace. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 includes provisions to protect applicants and employees from religious discrimination in the workplace. The act refers to religion broadly, and protects widely practiced religions, such as Judaism and Christianity, in addition to moral and ethical views and less common religions and beliefs. If you believe you are experiencing any form of religious discrimination in the workplace, contact Olsen Law Offices to learn more about your rights.
Your Religious Rights and Protections
Title VII provides a number of rights and protections. Among many actions, an employer cannot hire, terminate, demote, lay off, promote, or provide or exclude certain benefits based on your religious beliefs. Additionally, if a private employer regularly exercises their own religious beliefs in the workplace, they cannot impose their beliefs upon you, nor force you to participate in activities that do not coincide with your own beliefs.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 includes provisions to protect applicants and employees from religious discrimination in the workplace.
You have the right to reasonable accommodation by your employer. This means if you require time off for certain religious holidays or observances, your employer must allow you that time off without penalty. This can be done by rearranging shifts and schedules. Your employer must also accommodate any clothing, hairstyles, and other factors of your appearance that are tailored in accordance with your religion. These accommodations must be reasonable. If the accommodations you request would pose undue hardship on the employer, they do not have to comply.
This act also protects you from harassment based on your religion. Harassment may include offensive comments. In general, if the comments or actions of another create a hostile work environment, it is considered harassment. Title VII also protects employees who report religious discrimination from retaliation. This means your employer cannot fire or demote you, or take any other actions against you for reporting the discrimination.
Examples of Religious Discrimination
Religious discrimination can come in many forms, which can make it difficult to pinpoint under some circumstances. For instance, if a potential employer asks about your availability, and you say you can work every day but Sunday for religious reasons, and the employer does not hire you, it may or may not have been a result of religious discrimination. If other employees with more conventional belief systems than yours regularly receive promotions and pay raises, but you do not, this could be due to discrimination as well.
Seek Expert Legal Assistance
Discrimination of any form in the workplace can be difficult to prove, and religious discrimination is no different. Therefore, it is critical that you work with an attorney who understands how to assist job applicants and employees who have experienced this type of discrimination. Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to back pay, a promotion, hiring or reinstatement, and more.
File a Discrimination Claim
If you believe you have been a victim of religious discrimination in the workplace, contact our law firm today to schedule your free consultation. We will thoroughly evaluate your case and conduct an investigation to identify any evidence of discrimination. Chris Olsen can fight for your rights to fair and equal employment opportunities.
