Organized religion is taken seriously by those faithful enough to follow its principles. Believers from all over California peacefully practice their beliefs, without bothering others or intimidating one faith into melding with another. Because the practice of various faiths requires certain activities to be performed during daytime hours, the chances religion will comingle with work are rather high.
Provided workplace duties aren’t constantly interrupted, the Civil Rights Act provides protection at work to those wishing to pray, read passages, light candles or do whatever they please without an employer chastising their actions.
Do employers abide? The numerous cases our Riverside religious discrimination attorney has successfully litigated say no. Keeping an opinion of one’s desire to practice their religion at work, and verbally announcing disgust for another’s practice are two different ideologies altogether.
How JML Law Can Assist Workers
Discrimination of religious practices has similar punishments and penalties as most other acts of harassment. Financial awards including backpay and nonwork damages can be ordered by juries, making out-of-court settlements an attractive option for noncompliant employers.
So, what aren’t employers allowed to do?
- Employers cannot make work schedules purposely inconvenient so people who regularly practice religion cannot faithfully continue to practice.
- Suddenly impose dress codes that may conflict with religious garbs, cloaks or other pieces of clothing required by a particular faith.
- Make sweeping changes to employee handbooks that would disfavor one or several religious types.
- Begin terminating, docking pay or demoting individuals who do or do not practice religion at work.
- Allow other employees to openly ridicule each other based on religion practiced. Turning a blind eye to religious discrimination makes employers complicit.
Phone our Riverside religious discrimination attorney if any actions above have transpired during your tenure at the employer in question. JML Law will assist employees who have endured countless episodes of religious disparity, and who’ve tried to remedy further harassment directly through employers who simply didn’t wish to listen.
Your Rights
California laws mirror federal codes. This means individuals who disparage people at work because of one practice or another are breaking laws.
To win your case in court, JML Law must prove:
- The employee does in fact work where the discrimination took place and does, in fact, practice a particular religion.
- By admission or through evidence presented, an employer abused an employee’s Constitutional right to freedom of religion by imposing restrictions, harassing, or terminating employee.
- Through the actions of the employer, an employee was harmed.
- Those harms merit financial awards equal to pain, suffering and loss of pain.
- The court has jurisdiction over the employer, and may decide the case or employ a jury to help rule.
Religion is not an arbitrary time-wasting activity undertaken by people to ‘maintain appearances’. It’s serious enough that laws were written to protect those who wish to practice during work hours, provided that practice doesn’t interrupt normal activities.
If you’ve been religiously discriminated, and don’t know what rights you may have, contact our Riverside religious discrimination attorney today. There’s no fee to have JML Law look at your case.
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Every case is unique and needs to be evaluated by our experienced lawyers. If you find yourself in the religious discrimination,
