CA Workplace Religious Freedom Act

Employers often are faced with tricky legal dilemmas when employees ask to display religious symbols and take time off for religious observance. Can an employer reject an applicant who insists on wearing head coverings or religious jewelry with her uniform? Can an employee be forced to work Christmas Eve ' one of the busiest retail days of the year ' if he wants to attend a Catholic mass? Does it matter if the job is security related? The most common religious request by retail employees is time off for a religious holiday, followed by requests to be excused from a dress code. Recent developments in both legislation and case law suggest that employers will have to handle these requests with increased sensitivity, flexibility, and creativity. Employers should only deny a religious accommodation when it would cause a quantifiable undue burden.