Question of the Week: What should I know about religious accommodations?

Question of the Week:

What should I know about religious accommodations?

Answered by the HR Pros

Employers with 15 or more employees are required by federal law to provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, and observances, unless doing so would create an undue hardship for the employer.

The need for a religious accommodation generally arises when an employee’s religious beliefs or practices conflict with specific policies or requirements of the position. For instance, an employee might need to wear a head covering or hairstyle that is outside of your dress code or to not be scheduled on religious holidays.

An undue hardship—as it applies to religious accommodations specifically—has been interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court to mean a substantial increased cost in relation to the employer’s particular business. Most accommodations, particularly those related to scheduling and dress codes, shouldn’t cause an undue hardship, so employers should be open to requests and work with employees whenever possible.

When an employee requests a religious accommodation, you can ask them to describe their sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance that requires accommodation. We have a sample form for that very purpose! But if you require documentation for one religious accommodation request, you should require it for all—don’t get caught in a discrimination claim by being more lenient towards some religions than others.

This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.