Ismy employerallowed to require employees to attenda meeting if it conflicts with a religious commitment?
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Ismy employerallowed to require employees to attenda meeting if it conflicts with a religious commitment?
My boss told me that even though I’m a teacher at my church I have to miss church on Halloween to attend a mandatory meeting. I’ve been told in the past by friends (who are not trained in anything law related) that she can’t make me miss a religious event on a non-normal working day. Before I confront her and ask her if I may leave early or ask her to change the day of the week I would like to know what my rights are. I don’t know if the meeting is just to yell at us, it’s just what my co-workers said she calls these meetings for every year. I have an anxiety disorder and cannot handle that. And, is calling a mandatory meeting just to yell at the workers considered abuse?
Asked on October 15, 2010 under Employment Labor Law, Colorado
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
First of all, am employer can call a mandatory meeting about anything as long as doing so doesn't violate company policy, or a union/employment contract . And as long as discrimination is not involved.
Specifically, while religious discriminationin in the workplace is against the law; exactly what actions are or are not appropriate is a delicate determination. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964 (“Title VII”) prohibits employers from discriminating against employeess solely based of their religion. It requires an employer to accommodate the religious practices of an employee unless to do so would create an "undue hardship" (ie an employer need not incur more than minimal costs in accommodating an employee’s religious practices). This means that an employer must in good faith try to accommodate an employee's religious needs, and if it can't reasonably be done, the employer must identify an actual expense that would be associated in making the accommodation. However, the employer is not legally required to provide the specific accommodation requested by the employee. As long as the employer has reasonably accommodated an employee’s religious needs, the employer need not adopt the exact accommodations suggested by the employee.
Note: Federal law applies only to companies with more than 15 employees, although many state and local employment laws protect employees of smaller companies.
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