Employment Law Commentary - May 2005

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII") and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act ("FEHA"), California employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees on the basis of religion. But the extent to which these laws require employers to accommodate their employees’ beliefs — from veganism to the need for a place to pray — has been the subject of a spate of litigation in the last decade. This article provides a brief overview of the extent to which employees’ religious beliefs are protected under the current law and identifies some of the obligations imposed upon employers to accommodate such beliefs.