Tag: religion

Robertson a sitting duck after controversial quotes released

Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson and his family are most likely not enjoying a Happy Happy Happy Holiday after his recent GQ interview hit newsstands. In the interview, Robertson is quoted as saying: “It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: […]

Equal opportunity offender

No discussion of the film Horrible Bosses is complete without covering Kevin Spacey’s character, David Harken. Although he is arguably the most intimidating and even frightening of the three horrible bosses (two of which I covered in earlier posts, #1 and #2), his workplace conduct gives rise to the lowest litigation value from an employment […]

Dead fish

Seriously, where is Andy Bernard? I’m worried about him. And his relationship with Erin. And Pete too. I’m not sure what a Pennsylvania court might say, but under Iowa law, Andy could presumably fire Pete simply because his girlfriend is attracted to him. See Nelson v. Knight (Iowa 2012) (dentist’s wife forced dentist to fire […]

Space: the final frontier

by Mark I. Schickman There have been many lawsuits limiting the introduction of religion into the workforce. Employees who insist on a God-given right to bash gays at the workplace are subject to termination ― despite their right to express their religious beliefs. An employee whose religion opposes taking orders from women will lose his […]

Thou Shalt Not Unreasonably Question Employees’ Religious Beliefs

By Mark G. Jeffries Q: If an employee asks for time off based on her religious beliefs, can I legally question her about her religion (e.g., what her religion is and why she needs time off)? A: Yes, you may question an employee about her religious beliefs if you have an objective basis for questioning […]

Religious Time-Off Requests: Accommodation vs. Productivity and Fairness

Despite a trend toward employers embracing flexibility in the workplace as a way to improve work-life balance, most employers have expectations related to their employees’ schedules. In some workplaces, rigid schedules aren’t necessary as long as the work gets done. In others, shifts are firm and when someone needs time off, a request is made […]

How to Screen Job Applicants and Avoid Liability

Q: I own and operate a business in which physically demanding work is part of the employees’ daily activities. I recently hired several employees who I thought were qualified for the job. However, I quickly learned that they weren’t in good enough health to do what was required of them. This is causing a lot […]

When Religion and Politics Meet at Work

An old maxim says “never talk about religion or politics,” but how realistic (or even desirable) is that advice? And as the worlds of religion and politics collide, talk of one often crosses the line into speech about the other. While employers don’t want to trample on anyone’s right of free speech, they also can’t […]

Christian Charity Immune from Religious Discrimination Claim

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on an individual’s religion. Unless, that is, your employer is a religious organization. When three former employees sued World Vision, the question was whether the Christian charity qualified for the exemption. In a recent decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which […]

Nine Years Later: Religion and National Origin in the Workplace

For a week, the nation’s news reporters were captivated by a Florida preacher’s plans to burn the Quran on the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Although he ultimately backed down, his campaign and the heated debates and protests over planned mosques near ground zero and in other parts of the country have drawn […]