"Religious discrimination by employers can have legal consequences. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and many state constitutions require employers to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs. Generally, an employer is required to make reasonable accommodations for an employee to observe their religious practices.
The most common accommodation is granting an employee time off to observe a religious holiday. Depending on the situation, employees may or may not be paid for taking time off from work to observe a religious holiday. There are also some situations where an employer can refuse an employee’s request for time off.
Can Employers Refuse an Employee's Request to Observe a Religious Holiday?
In order to legally refuse an employee's request, an employer must show that they could not reasonably accommodate the employee without causing “undue hardship” to the business. Proving undue hardship requires an employer to show that the request would impose more than a minimal burden on operation of the business. This can be found if the request:
- Is costly;
- Threatens workplace safety;
- Decreases efficiency;
- Violates the rights of other employees; and/or
- Places a greater burden on other employees.
Any other criteria relevant to the individual situation may be considered as well."
Employee Religious Holidays | LegalMatch Law Library
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