Coalition Works To Protect Religious Employees

By Richard Yeakley
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS) A coalition of religious and civil liberty groups is pushing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to stop employers from segregating "visibly religious employees from customers and the general public."

In a March 25 letter submitted to the EEOC, the groups asked the agency to "exercise its regulatory authority" and enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on religion.

The organizations are concerned that adherence to religious dress can cause segregation for employees, citing examples of a Muslim woman in a headscarf or a Sikh man in a turban, where courts ruled for employers who segregated those employees for their attire.

"We are troubled by these misinterpretations and the discriminatory impact they have on individuals whose religious observance encompasses adherence to dress and grooming requirements," the letter said.

The 25 co-signers, including the Interfaith Alliance, the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, presented three ways for the EEOC to be more aggressive in enforcement.

The EEOC must enhance training on the guidelines for "inappropriate segregation" already in place; make enforcement a priority; and clarify that it is never appropriate to separate religious employees from customers to save a "corporate image" the letter said.

Comments

[Montcalms Revenge]

11:06 AM on 03/30/2011

I'm all for religious toleration in the workplace but sometimes it needs to have limits. For instance a while back a group of Muslim men who worked in my building would use the sinks in the men's room to wash up before they went to pray in their cubicles or offices. I have no problem with the praying--that's fine. My problem(along with most of my co-workers) was that they were taking off their shoes and washing their feet in the sinks. I'm sorry but that just isn't fair to everybody else. So while I agree there shouldn't be discrimination or segregation based on an employee's clothing(if it relates to religious beliefs), I don't think people should be given carte blanche to practice all facets of their religion in the workplace(especially if it affects their co-workers).

[mykelb]

01:27 PM on 03/30/2011

I agree. It's just ridiculous. Workplaces are not a place to practice religion. Do that on your own time.

[schnauzergirl]

01:27 PM on 03/31/2011

That is not what the Commision is doing. They are specifically working to stop employers from segregating "visibly religious employees from customers and the general public."

There is no mention of being allowed to use their religion to disturb other employees or disrupt work (both of which I would consider the foot washing issue).

Here at my place of work we have a large muslim employee base (DC area, very multi-cultural). The group pulled toghether and suggested to management that If the company would put in half the money, the muslim employees would contribute the other half to install a small foot bath (looks like a jantor's mop sink) in one mens and one womens restroom. No mess, everyone is happy.

[Tony Rubino]

09:47 AM on 03/30/2011

So... it was perfectly 100% acceptable for a company to tell me to hide smoking cigarrettes, hide my cross, or hide my tattoos, or hide me from kissing another man from customers, but if it's a turban, I have the right to show it.

[RedDogBear]

03:48 PM on 03/30/2011

If they told you to hide your cross (which I doubt) you have as much right to complain as the people mentioned above. As for hiding your cigarettes its not a question of hiding them. You can have them in your pocket, wear a carton of cigarettes on your head for all I care. But if you light up your cigarette (and the same would go if you lit up your turbin or started burning incense) and pollute the air that the rest of your workers have to breathe that's another matter.

[jmengr]

08:26 AM on 03/30/2011

Can't we just ask them to keep their nonsense to themselves? You know, like gays in the military?

[Daleri Rileda]

05:51 AM on 03/30/2011

Are we finally going to get protection for Christians in the workplace?

[ThinkCreeps]

07:07 AM on 03/30/2011

Only if we also get protection from them.

[thebigbike]

02:11 PM on 03/30/2011

my sentiments exactly!

[Daleri Rileda]

09:37 PM on 03/30/2011

What you need is protection from your Maker

...which is not possible.

[dubbleplusgood]

05:28 PM on 03/30/2011

yeah those christians are always barred from becoming the president of the united states - oh wait, it's the opposite.

what exactly is your gripe about? can't recall the last time a xtian was discriminated against at work.

[Daleri Rileda]

09:36 PM on 03/30/2011

Christians don't complain about it because they know that's the way it is in this world.

If you are not a Christian, you wouldn't know about it.