The Evolution Of Religion In The Workplace

The legal landscape surrounding religious accommodations and religious discrimination and harassment in the workplace has shifted in recent years. To help employers navigate this evolving area, below is a survey of key milestones – including the U.S. Supreme Court's Groff v. DeJoy decision in 2023, Executive Order 14202 entitled "Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias," and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)'s related enforcement actions in 2025.

The Groff Decision: Raising the Standard for Religious Accommodations

In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Groff, which altered the standard for religious accommodations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by raising the threshold for what constitutes an "undue hardship." Specifically, the Court held that employers must accommodate an employee's religious practice unless doing so would result in "substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of [the employer's] business." This