FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2023
CONTACT
Manisha Sunil, West End Strategy Team
msunil@westendstrategy.com; (202) 417-0171
Religious Freedoms in the Workplace Deserve Protection, Says Interfaith Organization
WASHINGTON—Interfaith advocates are applauding a much-anticipated update of Supreme Court precedent preserving religious accommodations in the workplace without creating an insurmountable burden for employers. Darcy Hirsh, senior director of policy and advocacy at Interfaith Alliance, released the following statement:
“Americans should not have to choose between their jobs and their faith. Today’s decision to strengthen religious accommodation in the workplace is a win for religious freedom. At the same time, the ruling protects businesses by ensuring that these accommodations do not result in substantial increased costs for employers, or impact coworkers in a manner that affects the conduct of the business.
“Nondiscrimination laws are rightly designed to ensure all employees are treated equally, regardless of personal belief or expression. This ruling safeguards employees of all beliefs and backgrounds and puts religion on the same playing field as other protected groups.”
In a unanimous decision penned by Justice Alito, the court rejected the prior de minimis standard, ruling that “undue hardship” on an employer must be substantial. An employer must show that the burden of granting an accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the overall conduct of its particular business.
If you are interested in speaking further with Interfaith Alliance, please contact Manisha Sunil at (202) 417-0171 or msunil@westendstrategy.com.
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Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.