Federal courts in the United States have embarked on the task of delineating the criteria under which employers can bypass religious accommodation requests, deemed burdensome, in the workplace. This development comes in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision in the Groff v. DeJoy case, decided in 2023. The decision significantly strengthened the standard that protects employees who refuse to comply with workplace policies on religious grounds.
The Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in this case stipulates that employers are prohibited from rejecting a religious accommodation on the grounds of undue hardship unless they can demonstrate that the accommodation would lead to “substantial increased costs” for the business (Bloomberg Law).
Following this landmark judgment, at least four federal appellate courts have begun revisiting cases to further investigate the parameters set forth by the Supreme Court’s decision. These cases are expected to provide valuable insights and guidance to employers as they navigate the intricacies of accommodating religious practices in the workplace.
For more detailed information, the original article can be accessed on Bloomberg Law.