Employer to Pay $50,000 in EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on January 27th, 2022, that an employer, Tampa Bay Delivery Service, LLC, will pay $50,000 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit. Additionally, the employer will need to implement company training on discrimination and accommodations. Overall, the decision enforces federal laws on employment discrimination and advances the EEOC’s purpose. Previously, the EEOC had issued guidance clarifying when COVID-19 qualified as a disability.

Brief Overview of the Case

According to the agency’s lawsuit, an employee of Tampa Bay Delivery Service, LLC (the defendant) requested to take Sundays off in order to attend church. Nonetheless, the defendant scheduled the employee for a Sunday shift. The employee subsequently reminded the defendant that they could not work on Sundays for stated religious reasons. As a result, the employee was fired from the company when they failed to show up for the scheduled Sunday shift.

Religious-Based Reasonable Accommodations

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers of 15 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees for specific reasons, including sincerely held religious beliefs. Certainly, the law makes exceptions for requests likely to cause undue hardship. However, undue hardship must involve a significant cost or difficulty for a business and cannot be decided arbitrarily. Markedly, requests for reasonable accommodation may be made verbally and do not necessarily need to be made in writing.

$50,000 Settlement in Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

Indeed, in EEOC v. Tampa Bay Delivery Service, LLC, Civil Action No. 8:21-cv-02302, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, (the Court) ruled in favor of the EEOC. Hence, the Court decided that Tampa Bay Delivery Service, LLC had discriminated against the employee on the basis of religion. Subsequently, the Court ordered the defendant to pay $50,000 to settle the religious discrimination lawsuit. In addition to the monetary relief, the defendant will provide:

• training on religious discrimination and how to address accommodation requests,
• a designated religious accommodation coordinator to receive and fulfill requests, and
• posted reasonable accommodation and anti-discrimination notices to inform employers and employees of their rights and responsibilities under the law.

In the end, the EEOC acknowledged the defendant’s willingness to work with the agency to resolve the lawsuit. Director of the EEOC’s Tampa Field Office, Evangeline Hawthorne added, “We encourage other employers to follow Tampa Bay Delivery Service’s lead and review their religious accommodation policies and practices to ensure that workers are not denied opportunities due to their religious beliefs.”

Request for Religious Accommodation Form

In summary, an employee may request religious accommodation for sincerely held beliefs, observances, or practices that may conflict with specific job tasks or schedules. Additionally, the law protects requests related to grooming, dress, and religious expression. Personnel Concepts created the Request for Religious Accommodation Form to help employers document and evaluate such requests for accommodation. The attorney-reviewed digital form, allows employers to capture details of the request, including the root issue causing the problem and the details of the accommodation. Finally, employers may use the form to make a final determination.