Religious discrimination in the workplace is illegal. The First Amendment establishes freedom of religion. Both state statutes and federal laws help reinforce that freedom by treating religion as a protected characteristic for the purposes of employment.
With limited exceptions for churches and other religious institutions associated with specific faiths, employers generally cannot discriminate during hiring, promotions or terminations based on an employee’s faith. Workers may face discrimination during the hiring process because of their religion, especially if they wear symbols of their religion. They could also face discrimination in the form of denied accommodations to observe their faith.
Additionally, there’s another way that religious discrimination can manifest in the workplace that fewer people recognize as religious discrimination.
A lack of faith should not affect employment
Just as employers cannot dictate how their workers worship or what church they attend, they generally cannot punish employees for choosing not to participate in organized religion or expressing a lack of religious belief. Agnostic and atheist workers can also face religious discrimination in the workplace if supervisors or managers treat them differently due to their deeply-held personal beliefs.
If supervisors indicate that they denied a worker opportunities because they don’t have a religion or if they clearly give preferential treatment to the most devout of their co-workers, then agnostic or atheist employees may have grounds to allege religious discrimination. Allowing others to mistreat a worker by excluding them, harassing them or routinely mistreating them could lead to allegations of a hostile workplace.
Workers should not face mistreatment or lost opportunities because of what they believe or do not believe. Reviewing an employer’s conduct with a lawyer can help those who may have experienced religious discrimination hold their employers accountable for infringing on their protected rights.