2024 DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference: Workplace Religious Accommodation Requests - What You Need to Know

Employers continue to receive religious accommodation requests at unprecedented levels. The requests can come in the form of requests for time off work, modified schedules, and accommodations for an ever-expanding array of culturally-driven requests. Many employers feel comfortable processing ADA accommodation requests but find the law governing religious accommodation requests mysterious and challenging. During this session, we will discuss the basic principles underlying Title VII standards governing religious accommodation requests and help you hone your understanding of religious accommodation and refine accommodation approaches for this important EEOC compliance obligation.

• Understand federal standards governing religious accommodations and how they differ from some state standards
• When beliefs are "religious"
• Requirements that religious beliefs are "sincerely-held"
• The current meaning of undue hardship in the religious accommodation context
• Best practices to follow when handling these requests