Workplace Resource: Religious Accommodation Policy

Purpose:

To ensure that the company proactively respects religious diversity in the workplace by providing a written policy and process for employees to request religious accommodations.

Policy:

1. Commitment to religious diversity in the workplace: 

[Insert Name] respects the religious beliefs, practices, and affiliations of its applicants and employees and seeks to foster a workplace environment where all individuals feel welcomed and valued. [Insert Name] provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees for their sincerely held religious beliefs unless doing so would be an undue hardship.

2. Definition of undue hardship: 

An 'undue hardship' means an accommodation that would require significant difficulty or expense.

3. Specific considerations in determining undue hardship:

When determining whether a requested accommodation will require a significant difficulty or expense, [Insert Name] considers:

1. the cost of the accommodation, including the costs of loss of productivity and of retraining or hiring employees or transferring employees from one facility to another;
2. whether the requested accommodation will obstruct [Insert Name] from providing its customers or clients the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations offered by the company.

4. General types/examples of religious accommodation(s): 

Applicants and employees may obtain exceptions to work rules or policies that would allow them to adhere to their religious beliefs and practices. Religious accommodations may also include adjustments to the work environment. Examples of accommodations include, but are not limited to, schedule changes, exceptions to the dress code or grooming policy, job modifications, changes to job tasks, breaks, or leaves of absence. [Insert Name] strictly prohibits retaliation of any kind for requesting a religious accommodation.

5. Process for requesting religious accommodation(s): 

Employees should notify their supervisor or human resources manager if they need to request a religious accommodation because their sincerely held religious belief(s) conflict(s) with their ability to perform a job requirement. Employees should specify the type of accommodation requested. The human resources manager will engage in discussions with the employees in a good faith effort to determine what accommodations may be possible and effective. 

Application:

Businesses should specify that accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and reasonable requests will be granted unless they create an undue hardship. In some circumstances, the Company may ask for additional information from employees, if necessary, to assess the request. For additional information, employees should contact their supervisor or the Human Resources Department.   

Companies should also ensure that all employees and managers receive training on the process for requesting accommodations, as well as the specific process for reviewing and responding to such requests. Managers responsible for administering the policy should receive specific instruction regarding when undue hardship applies and when it does not, as well as the general types of accommodations that employees may request. 

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