Is A Request For Religious Accommodation "Protected Activity" For A Title VII Retaliation Claim?

Seyfarth Synopsis: In a recent federal case the employer has challenged the EEOC Enforcement Guidance on Retaliation taking the position that a religious accommodation request does not meet the test for protected activity under Title VII. In defending retaliation litigation, employers should consider whether there is a viable argument that a request for religious accommodation is not sufficient to establish protected activity as a matter of law –and, in any event — to proceed carefully when considering the request.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has maintained in its Enforcement Guidance on Retaliation that "persons requesting religious accommodation under Title VII are protected against retaliation for making such requests." In its Questions and Answers: Religious Discrimination in the Workplace, the EEOC "has taken the position that requesting religious accommodation is protected activity."