A recent survey found that almost half of Muslim Americans said they had experienced religious or racial discrimination in the past year, far more than any other religious group. Since the events of September 11th, 2001, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has seen a steady increase in charges of religious discrimination by Muslim workers. As a result, the EEOC has filed several prominent lawsuits on behalf of Muslim workers complaining of interruption of prayer breaks and discrimination based on their attire.
Failing to accommodate the religious needs of Muslim employees often leads to discrimination complaints based on national origin and race, as well as faith practice. This can lead to costly litigation, harm employee morale and productivity, and damage an employer’s reputation. Employers need to take a practical approach to employees’ religious accommodation requests to maintain a productive workforce in a legally complaint workplace.
This issue of Workforce Strategies examines the challenges for HR departments and offers strategies for reasonable accommodations.