On May 17, 2022, the Mayo Clinic was sued by a former employee who believes her religious freedoms were violated by the Clinic’s workplace vaccine policies. Notably, Mayo Clinic accepted the plaintiff’s request for a religious exemption from its vaccine requirement. But the employee, Sherry Ihde, claims Mayo Clinic’s requirement that employees exempt from the
accommodating religious beliefs
Religion and LGBT Discrimination – Who is Protected Under Title VII
Last year we reported on an important LGBT case involving a Michigan corporation that fired a transgender female employee (EEOC v. R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc.). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) argued Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination prohibits bias based on gender identity. The funeral home’s majority shareholder claimed…
Religious Discrimination Guidance Issued by the EEOC
Employers should be aware of the recent guidance on federal protections for religious discrimination issued as a result of the interagency effort between the Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Specifically, the EEOC released on 7/22/2016 its religious discrimination guidance, which focuses on younger employees and explaining how the laws…
Religious Accommodations in the Workplace and Chinese New Year
Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year, which is also known as the Spring Festival. Traditionally and especially in China, this celebration last 15 days. This festival is also a celebration that involves both cultural and religious elements. For this reason, it is an excellent backdrop for discussing an employer’s obligations on…
Oy Vey! No Religious Discrimination in Jewish Nurse’s Termination
A recent religious discrimination claim dismissed in favor of an employer offers a number important take-aways for both employers and employees. Specifically, on 7/16/2015 the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of a religious discrimination claim brought by a Jewish nurse who had worked for a Missouri medical center. See Shirrell v. St.
When Does an Employer Have Notice of an Employee’s Need for Religious Accommodation?
As an employment law nerd, I often get giddy when there is a meaty employment law issue being addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court (hopefully Justice Ginsburg took it easy on the sauce prior to oral arguments). But today I’m especially giddy because the Supremes are hearing arguments in the case captioned EEOC v. Abercrombie…
Religion in the Workplace: Avoiding Religious Discrimination Claims
This week marked the beginning of Ramadan, which is the Islamic month of fasting. Participating Muslims generally refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. Ramadan is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God.
It is also a good reminder for the need to understand restrictions against religious discrimination…