Articles Posted in religious discrimination

Muslims have become a target of discrimination in public settings as well as in the workplace. Under employment laws, discrimination could involve adverse action, including failure to hire, demotion, or termination. It could also mean disparate treatment in the workplace or failure to accommodate a protected class. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case concerning the rights of a woman to wear hijab while working at Abercrombie and Fitch. The case originated in Oklahoma in 2008 and has made its way to the highest court.

muslim2While some countries have banned full covering or headscarves in schools (France, Denmark, Germany, Turkey, Russia, and China), the United States has generally given protection for religious garb. Briefs have been submitted to the court from a host of civil rights and anti-discrimination groups to prevent a private company from prohibiting hijab in the workplace. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, private companies are prohibited from refusing to hire or discharging an employee based on a religious observance and practice. This is not the first case involving hijab that has been brought into state and federal courts.

In 2004, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of a sixth grader who wanted to wear hijab in her public school. The school amended policy, paid a settlement and made the decision to allow hijab in school. Another case in Michigan involved a woman who refused to take of her face mask in court. The ACLU argued for a religious exception to courtroom attire. In 2009 the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that a judge had the power to order witnesses to review covering when testifying. The ACLU has gone to court in California, Florida, Michigan and Oklahoma to fight for a woman’s right to cover her head and face in schools, courts, and in the workplace.

In the United States, many victims of discrimination have come from a wide range of nationalities, beliefs, and ethnic backgrounds. A post-9/11 America created a spike in disparate and discriminatory treatment towards the Muslim population, including racial profiling, hate crimes, and even discrimination in the workplace. According to a recent report published by the state offices of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), there were 933 discrimination complaints filed in 2013, up from 824 in 2012. The leading form of discrimination was in the workplace, comprising of 15% of all complaints. Other allegations of discrimination included cases related to immigration and law enforcement. According to the report, many of the complaints were not actually filed by Muslims, but those who were thought to appear to be Muslims based on their skin color or dress.

muslim2Religious and racial discrimination in the workplace are illegal. Victims of discrimination should consult with an experienced advocate who can protect their rights. Whether you were denied a position, a promotion, or wrongfully terminated, an experienced attorneys should review the facts of your case and help you take action against a discriminatory employer. Our Los Angeles religious discrimination attorneys are experienced in handling discrimination cases on behalf of employees throughout Southern California. We will perform an immediate investigation, collect and preserve relevant evidence and help you achieve optimal results in your case.

There are many forms of employment discrimination that may arise involving religious affiliation. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), it is illegal for any employer to discriminate against an employee based on religion, race, sex, or national origin. Employers are also required to provide religious accommodations in the workplace. According to the report, employees have faced issues including hostility towards their Muslim beliefs, retaliation for complaining about discrimination, and wrongful termination.

Title IV of the Civil Rights Act prohibits private companies from discrimination based on religious practices. While we often hear about discrimination based on race, national origin, or gender, cases less common are based on religious discrimination. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Food Lion, the national supermarket chain, for religious discrimination. According to the complaint, the company fired a Jehovah’s Witness who requested days off for religious practices.

prayReligious discrimination occurs anytime an employee or applicant for a person is treated differently because of his or her beliefs. Our Orange County religious discrimination attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of individual employees who have suffered from discrimination in the workplace. We will take the time to review your case, identify misconduct or unlawful discrimination, and pursue compensation and a fair resolution on your behalf. Our priority is to raise awareness to prevent future discrimination and to help victims protect their rights against employers.

Federal law protects both individuals who belong to traditional organized religion, including Christianity or Judaism, as well as those who have sincere religious or moral beliefs. Discrimination occurs when an employee or applicant is treated differently because of a connection with a religious organization or group. In the case against Food Lion, the EEOC alleges that the company illegally discriminated against an employee who was a minister and elder. According to the complaint, the employee requested Sundays and Thursdays off to practice his religion. While his managers accommodated this request, he was then transferred to another location where he was not given Sundays off and was subsequently terminated from his position. The EEOC is pursuing the lawsuit to collect back pay as well as compensatory and punitive damages from the company.

In a recent move the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced that it will increase its focus on Religious Discrimination.

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Our employment lawyers in Los Angeles know that workers are experiencing religious based discrimination on a daily basis.

California workers are likely familiar with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) signs and posters that are displayed in most workplaces. The EEOC protects California workers from discrimination of all sorts, including discrimination based on religion. A recent report indicates that in 2013 alone, more than 3,700 religious discrimination claims were made to the EEOC.

Religious discrimination is pervasive in much of the United States. Jews, Muslims, Christians and others face oppression based on their beliefs and culture.

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Our Costa Mesa employment lawyers know that nonbelievers also suffer for being out of the mainstream. Discrimination against atheists occurs in the United States with some regularity.

Although American democracy places a great deal of importance on freedom of religious belief in its constitution. But even in the tolerant environment of the United States, atheists can face discrimination because they’re sometimes viewed as troublemakers.

According to a recent report religious discrimination is increasing in the workplace.

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Our Orange County religious discrimination lawyers are aware that religion is an important part of many employee’s personal lives and identity, which makes religious based discrimination especially troubling.

Although state and federal laws exist to protect religious beliefs and practice in the workplace, religious discrimination on the job can still be an unfortunate issue that many workers are forced to deal with.

According to a report on Wall Street Journal’s website, Employers are using information they find about job applicants online to make discriminatory hiring decisions under the radar.

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Our Los Angeles employment discrimination attorneys know that employers are utilizing social networking sites to research potential hires and make discriminatory hiring decisions. These practices may violate federal and state laws.

It is well known that employers are using social media to screen applicants. Employers may view Facebook pages or other social media interaction for a variety of reasons.

Our Costa Mesa religious discrimination attorneys recently wrote in our Employment Lawyer Blog about the case of a retail clothing store employee who was fired for refusing to remove her hijab, or Muslim religious head covering, at the request of her employer.pray

Now, The Wall Street Journal is exploring the issue of discrimination on the basis of religion in greater depth, saying that the number of such claims has skyrocketed in recent years, as America – and its faithful – have continued to grow more divorce.

Many companies reportedly struggle with how to handle the complexity of how to manage religion as it pertains to the workforce. For example, there are instances in which a seven-day workweek, being embraced by some employers, interferes with the Jewish Sabbath. There are other instances in which religious clothing (such as the hijab) may clash with the dress codes of a given employer. There are other instances in which company policy may interfere with a worker’s belief system. For example, how does an employer charged with issuing gay marriage licenses cope with an employee who says that such actions are against his or her beliefs?

A Muslim woman’s right to don her religious hair covering at work trumps a clothing store company’s effort to maintain an “All-American” image, a federal court in northern California recently ruled. clothingstore

In Khan v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc., Case No. 11-cv-03162-YGR, U.S. District Court of Northern California, a federal judge granted the plaintiff’s motion for a partial summary judgment in the case wherein religious discrimination had been alleged.

The plaintiff had been represented by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A separate hearing has been set to determine the exact amount of monetary damages to be awarded.

A number of recent employment lawsuits filed throughout the country have stemmed from alleged religious discrimination, ranging from failure to grant certain accommodations to outright harassment and hate crimes. muslimwoman

Our Costa Mesa religious discrimination attorneys know that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is very clear in stipulating that such actions are not to be tolerated under the law. The law refers to a prohibition on any discrimination with regard to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, lay-offs, promotions, benefits, training or any other condition of employment.

Harassment of a person based on his or her religion is also illegal, the same way sexual harassment is barred.

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