Employment issues can be tricky – and confusing. The right answer is usually a combination of federal, state and local requirements. Read over these real life situations and see if you would know how to respond.
Q: Is religious garb protected by the law?
An employee wears a yarmulke to the office and HR receives complaints from two staffs that it makes them feel uncomfortable. Should you try to satisfy the employee who is religiously observant or the employees who are put-off by religious observance at work?
Does freedom of religious expression extend to what an employee wears to work?
A:Yes.
As of January 1, 2013, California’s Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA) explicitly protects applicants and employees from discrimination in the workplace based on religious dress and grooming practices. Further, you may not accommodate an employee’s religious dress or grooming practice by segregating the employee from other individuals or the public.
How did you do? Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t get them all right. As we’ve said, employment issues can be complex and confusing, and usually the best answer is “it depends” because context and specific circumstances are important.
You are not a HR expert. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to remember to call Three Sixty HR when you’ve got questions!
Q&A
Employment law can be tricky – and confusing.
The right answer is usually a combination of federal, state and local requirements. Read over these cases and see if you’d know how to respond in these real life situations.
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