Over the past several months, representatives of the Work Place Religious Freedom Coalition, of which SALDEF is an active participant, have met with numerous Congressional representatives on the importance of religious freedom in the workplace. The meetings were held to encourage House members to support the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA) of 2005 (Senate Bill 677/House Bill 1445. This legislation is designed to reinstate protections in America’s civil rights laws which encourage employers to reasonably accommodate the religious needs of their employees in the workplace. The meetings were held with Rep. Phil Gingrey (GA-11), Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (CO-4), Rep. Jon Doolittle (CA-4), Rep. Ron Lewis (KY-2), Rep. Tom Delay (TX-22), Rep Wally Herger (CA-2), Rep. W. Todd Akin (MI-2), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (TN-7) as well a personal meeting with Rep. Tom Tancredo (CO-6), among others. At present, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (amended 1972) allows employers to fire employees if they can prove that they bear an “undue hardship” for providing accommodation for an employees religious practices. This term has come to mean any minimal discomfort; a very low test. As any attorney knows, this amendment has shifted protection away from people of faith. The Workplace Religious Freedom Act, would amend Title VII to say that employers must accommodate an employees’ religious practices so long as it does not produce, “significant difficulty or expense.” This legislation is vital to Sikhs since there have been numerous cases of employment discrimination due to wearing a turban and beard. It will force employers to accommodate and work with people of all faiths whom are being discriminated against simply for their religion. With the help of SALDEF and the WRFA Coalition, we hope to gain more protections for people of all faiths.
