Supreme Court Unanimously Sets New Standard for Religious Accommodations in the Workplace

The Supreme Court has issued a unanimous decision in the case of Groff v. DeJoy, which could have major implications for workers seeking religious accommodations from their employers.

Gerald Groff, a Pennsylvania mail carrier, had requested to be spared Sunday shifts based on his religious belief that it is a day of worship and rest. The U.S. Postal Service declined his request, citing a 1977 precedent that said employers can deny accommodations for an employee’s religious practices if the request imposes more than a “de minimis,” or minimal, cost on the business.

However, the Supreme Court has now set aside the “de minimis” standard set more than 45 years ago and laid out a “clarified standard” for lower courts to apply to determine when, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, an employee’s proposed religious accommodation imposes an undue hardship on the employer’s business.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court that the 1977 precedent was “inconsistent with the statutory text and structure” of Title VII, and that the new standard should be applied in future cases.

The decision is a major victory for workers seeking religious accommodations from their employers, and could have far-reaching implications for how employers handle such requests in the future. It is a reminder that employers must take religious beliefs into account when making decisions about employee accommodations.