In a federal lawsuit, a Chick-fil-A franchisee, which operates multiple locations in Austin, Texas, is accused of violating federal law by “refusing to reasonably accommodate an employee’s request to refrain from working on Saturdays in observance of her Sabbath day and instead fired her.”

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the lawsuit against Hatch Trick, Inc.

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According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the employee, who managed Hatch Trick’s delivery drivers at one of its Austin locations, is a member of the United Church of God denomination, which observes a Saturday Sabbath. In adherence to her religious faith and practice, she requested no scheduled hours on Saturdays, and she disclosed the need during her job interview. Although Hatch Trick initially honored the employee’s request to refrain from Saturday work, after several months the company changed its position and demanded that she work on Saturdays, the EEOC said.

The EEOC’s lawsuit stated that the employee made additional requests for religious accommodation, meeting with company officials on several occasions to discuss her needs and suggested a number of alternatives which would have allowed her to remain in her position while adhering to her Sabbath observance.

Hatch Trick rejected all options for the employee to remain in her managerial job while abstaining from Saturday work, instead telling her that she must move to a non-managerial delivery driver position which entitled her to lower pay, reduced benefits and fewer hours. When the employee declined to accept the driver position, the company discharged her, according to the lawsuit.

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“The duty under federal law to provide reasonable accommodation of religion reflects an acknowledgement by our society of the importance of faith in workers’ everyday lives and an abiding respect for those who observe religious practices as an expression of that faith,” said acting EEOC Dallas Regional Attorney Ronald L. Phillips.

“Just as adherence to the dictates of one’s own conscience is not optional, so too an employer’s duty under Title VII is obligatory, and the EEOC stands ready to enforce that legal duty,” Phillips added.

Chron noted:

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination because of religion and requires employers to reasonally accommodate employees’ religious beliefs or practice unless doing so would substantially burdern the business. By law, flexible scheduling is a common religious accommodation, along with voluntary shift substitutions, job reassignments, and modifications to workplace policies or practices, according to the EEOC’s website.

“Religious discrimination in the workplace is unlawful, and employers must make reasonable accommodations for employees’ sincerely held beliefs. Title VII protects employees’ rights to observe their religious beliefs, and no employee’s livelihood should come at the expense of their religious convictions,” EEOC San Antonio Field Office Director Norma Guzman said.

 

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