In the workplace, you could face discrimination for different reasons. For example, you might experience discrimination due to your age, sex, racial background or disability. It is also important to take a look at laws related to religious discrimination if you believe that violations of your employee rights have occurred due to your beliefs.
Unfortunately, discrimination on the basis of a worker’s religion can take various forms and continues to occur too often.
Harassment and other types of religious discrimination
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that it is against the law for covered employers to segregate workers based on their religious beliefs, and harassing workers over their religious views is also prohibited. For example, frequent and severe harassment that leads to a hostile work environment or results in a demotion or firing is illegal.
In fact, religious discrimination also includes failing to provide reasonable accommodations (such as offering flexible work schedules and allowing workers to wear certain types of clothing).
The impact of religious discrimination
If you have dealt with religious discrimination firsthand, your experiences could affect your life in many different ways. For example, the discrimination could have led to unfavorable outcomes regarding your employment, whether you lost your job or have had to take a less desirable position. This can lead to emotional hardships, such as depression and anxiety, and it is also important to think about the potential short-term and long-term financial consequences of discrimination.
In order to address religious discrimination, it is pivotal to understand your options and gather as much evidence as you can.