Employment LawScene Alert: EEOC Issues New Publications on Religious Dress and Grooming

On March 6, 2014, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced that it released two new publications addressing religious dress and grooming rights and responsibilities in the workplace under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), in response to an increased number of religious discrimination charges filed with the agency.

The EEOC has published a question-and-answer guide and a fact sheet in an effort to provide employers and employees practical guidance for complying with Title VII, which, under certain circumstances, requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants who wear clothing or follow certain grooming practices for religious reasons, unless doing so poses an undue hardship on the employer’s business operations.

The two publications address a number of topics, including examples of common religious dress and grooming practices and when an employer’s duty to consider an accommodation request is triggered, potential claims against employers for failing to accommodate religious requests, tips for preventing and addressing workplace harassment and retaliation against employees who request religious accommodations, and examples of when these requests have posed undue hardship on employers.

If you have questions about religious accommodation under Title VII, please contact one of our Employment Law attorneys.