Religious discrimination in employment is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This means that New Jersey employers do not have the right to treat employees and applicants differently based on their religious beliefs. Additionally, employers must grant certain reasonable accommodations to employees due to their religious practices.

A car dealership in Little Falls was recently accused of failing to provide a reasonable religious accommodation to a man who was applying for an open sales position.

The man is a member of the Sikh faith, and as such he wears a turban, uncut hair and a beard as a part of his religious beliefs.

When he applied for the sales position, the employer asked him to shave his beard. The applicant said that he would not do so due to his religious beliefs. The Little Falls employer then denied him the position.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company for religious discrimination, and last week the dealership agreed to settle the case. The employer will pay $50,000 to the sales applicant and it will also train its management staff and employees on anti-discrimination law in order to prevent future discrimination in the workplace.

This case is an important reminder to New Jersey residents that they have the right to practice their religions without suffering employment consequences. Under federal law, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to employees who hold sincere religious beliefs and practices. An accommodation is generally considered reasonable as long as it does not result in a significant business burden.

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Tri-County Lexus to Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Religious Discrimination Suit,” Nov. 19, 2013