When Do I Need a Religious Discrimination Lawyer?

Religious Discrimination Law

If you feel like your religious affiliation is preventing you from getting hired or promoted, or has led to your termination, you have rights. The religious discrimination lawyers at Jackson Spencer Law have a track record of obtaining significant settlements and awards for our clients who are victims of workplace discrimination.

To find out if you have a valid claim for religious discrimination, please read on for more information before your free consultation.

Jump to:
How to Identify Religious Discrimination
What to Do If You’ve Been Discriminated Against Because of Your Religious Preference
Religious Discrimination Laws
The Religious Discrimination Lawyers at Jackson Spencer Are Here to Help

Religious Discrimination Law

If you feel like your religious affiliation is preventing you from getting hired or promoted, or has led to your termination, you have rights. The religious discrimination lawyers at Jackson Spencer Law have a track record of obtaining significant settlements and awards for our clients who are victims of workplace discrimination.

To find out if you have a valid claim for religious discrimination, please read on for more information before your free consultation.

Jump to:
How to Identify Religious Discrimination
What to Do If You’ve Been Discriminated Against Because of Your Religious Preference
Religious Discrimination Laws
The Religious Discrimination Lawyers at Jackson Spencer Are Here to Help

How to Identify Religious Discrimination

A religious discrimination lawyer can help determine if religious discrimination or harassment has occurred. While workplace discrimination is not always easy to recognize, there are several red flags that may indicate religious discrimination. These include:

  • Your employer singles out those with certain religious practices for different or less favorable treatment than employees with the “preferred” religious practice
  • Your supervisor distributes reading materials or sends posts from social media accounts that are associated with a particular religion, then treats those who do not ascribe to that religion differently
  • Your employer makes jokes or derogatory comments about your religious beliefs or the religious beliefs of others
  • You are denied a promotion, raise, or other opportunities after disclosing your religion or your religious beliefs, or beginning to participate in a religious ritual such as fasting
  • You are treated differently after beginning to wear religious items of clothing such as a yarmulke, hijab, or dastar
  • You are asked prying and inappropriate questions at work about of your religious beliefs
  • Your supervisor or coworkers frequently discuss religion with you in an attempt to try to convert you to a different religion
  • Your workplace repeatedly ignores your religious food requirements, such as halal or Jain vegetarianism, or your coworkers try to force you to eat food that is in conflict with your religion’s guidelines
  • You are fired after refusing to participate in a religious celebration

Religious discrimination claims can be complex, especially when facing your employer’s legal team and an uninformed company. Your employer’s human resources department may try to downplay your concerns or convince you not to file a complaint. This is where it helps to have the guidance and expertise of employees’ rights lawyers on your side.

At Jackson Spencer Law, we offer free, no-obligation consultations to help you determine if you have a claim and maximize your chances of legal success.

How to Identify Religious Discrimination

A religious discrimination lawyer can help determine if religious discrimination or harassment has occurred. While workplace discrimination is not always easy to recognize, there are several red flags that may indicate religious discrimination. These include:

  • Your employer singles out those with certain religious practices for different or less favorable treatment than employees with the “preferred” religious practice
  • Your supervisor distributes reading materials or sends posts from social media accounts that are associated with a particular religion, then treats those who do not ascribe to that religion differently
  • Your employer makes jokes or derogatory comments about your religious beliefs or the religious beliefs of others
  • You are denied a promotion, raise, or other opportunities after disclosing your religion or your religious beliefs, or beginning to participate in a religious ritual such as fasting
  • You are treated differently after beginning to wear religious items of clothing such as a yarmulke, hijab, or dastar
  • You are asked prying and inappropriate questions at work about of your religious beliefs
  • Your supervisor or coworkers frequently discuss religion with you in an attempt to try to convert you to a different religion
  • Your workplace repeatedly ignores your religious food requirements, such as halal or Jain vegetarianism, or your coworkers try to force you to eat food that is in conflict with your religion’s guidelines
  • You are fired after refusing to participate in a religious celebration

Religious discrimination claims can be complex, especially when facing your employer’s legal team and an uninformed company. Your employer’s human resources department may try to downplay your concerns or convince you not to file a complaint. This is where it helps to have the guidance and expertise of employees’ rights lawyers on your side.

At Jackson Spencer Law, we offer free, no-obligation consultations to help you determine if you have a claim and maximize your chances of legal success.

What to Do If You’ve Been Discriminated Against Because of Your Religious Preference

When employers and colleagues violate anti-discrimination laws, they deserve to be held accountable.

If you are facing discrimination, harassment, or retaliation because of your religion or religious preference, here are some helpful tips to follow:

  1. Try to remain calm and collected. Even though discrimination is infuriating, cursing or threatening your employer or co-workers (or making a negative post on social media) could potentially hurt your claims.
  2. Keep a written record of incidents of discrimination or unfairness in a notebook that you keep at home. Include details such as date, time, location, and the names of anyone involved, including witnesses. Don’t use company time or equipment to make these notes.
  3. Report discriminatory treatment to your company’s human resources department. In your complaint, use specific language highlighting why you believe you are being discriminated against (e.g., “I’m being discriminated against because I am Muslim.”). If your employer has a policy for reporting mistreatment, be sure to follow the policy. If your employer reacts poorly to your report, you may have a claim for retaliation in addition to discrimination.
  4. Finally, contact an employee rights lawyer. An attorney can evaluate whether you have a legal claim, and help improve your chances of a successful outcome.

The religious discrimination lawyers at Jackson Spencer Law can help workers recover lost wages, emotional distress damages, and other losses caused by the many forms of workplace discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.

When employers and colleagues violate anti-discrimination laws, they deserve to be held accountable.

If you are facing discrimination, harassment, or retaliation because of your religion or religious preference, here are some helpful tips to follow:

  1. Try to remain calm and collected. Even though discrimination is infuriating, cursing or threatening your employer or co-workers (or making a negative post on social media) could potentially hurt your claims.
  2. Keep a written record of incidents of discrimination or unfairness in a notebook that you keep at home. Include details such as date, time, location, and the names of anyone involved, including witnesses. Don’t use company time or equipment to make these notes.
  3. Report discriminatory treatment to your company’s human resources department. In your complaint, use specific language highlighting why you believe you are being discriminated against (e.g., “I’m being discriminated against because I am Muslim.”). If your employer has a policy for reporting mistreatment, be sure to follow the policy. If your employer reacts poorly to your report, you may have a claim for retaliation in addition to discrimination.
  4. Finally, contact an employee rights lawyer. An attorney can evaluate whether you have a legal claim, and help improve your chances of a successful outcome.

The religious discrimination lawyers at Jackson Spencer Law can help workers recover lost wages, emotional distress damages, and other losses caused by the many forms of workplace discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.

Religious Discrimination Laws

Religious Discrimination LawyerThe law defines religious discrimination as treating an individual or group differently because of their religious beliefs or practices. It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee or prospective employee on the basis of religion in all areas of employment, including hiring, firing, promotions, wages, and benefits. It is also illegal for an employer to deny a religious accommodation, such as wearing a skirt instead of pants, as long as that accommodation is not an undue burden to the employer.

The law also protects employees from harassment based on their religion. This includes unwelcome comments or conduct that is severe or pervasive and creates a hostile work environment. Keep in mind that if you request a religious accommodation, you may be required to disclose details of your religious beliefs to HR or your supervisor. The discussions surrounding COVID-19 vaccines and religious exemptions can help provide insight on conversations that may arise during discussions of a religious accommodation of any type, not just vaccine exemptions.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits religious discrimination in employment. This law applies to all federal, state, and local agencies in their capacity as employers. Private entities with 15 or more employees are also prohibited from religious discrimination.

In Texas, the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act also prohibits a government agency from substantially burdening a person’s free exercise of religion without compelling justification.

Religious Discrimination Laws

Religious Discrimination LawyerThe law defines religious discrimination as treating an individual or group differently because of their religious beliefs or practices. It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee or prospective employee on the basis of religion in all areas of employment, including hiring, firing, promotions, wages, and benefits. It is also illegal for an employer to deny a religious accommodation, such as wearing a skirt instead of pants, as long as that accommodation is not an undue burden to the employer.

The law also protects employees from harassment based on their religion. This includes unwelcome comments or conduct that is severe or pervasive and creates a hostile work environment. Keep in mind that if you request a religious accommodation, you may be required to disclose details of your religious beliefs to HR or your supervisor. The discussions surrounding COVID-19 vaccines and religious exemptions can help provide insight on conversations that may arise during discussions of a religious accommodation of any type, not just vaccine exemptions.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits religious discrimination in employment. This law applies to all federal, state, and local agencies in their capacity as employers. Private entities with 15 or more employees are also prohibited from religious discrimination.

In Texas, the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act also prohibits a government agency from substantially burdening a person’s free exercise of religion without compelling justification.

The Religious Discrimination Lawyers at Jackson Spencer Law Are Here to Help

In many cases, victims do not report their experiences because they fear that no one will believe them or take them seriously. Sometimes, it can be intimidating just to talk to someone who you aren’t sure will understand the terminology you’re using, let alone understand what you’ve been through. Having a person on your side that understands not only the law but how to navigate a culture of religious discrimination can make a big difference.

At Jackson Spencer Law, our experienced religious discrimination attorneys will ensure your story is heard. If you are facing workplace religious discrimination, we can determine if you have a valid claim, inform you of your rights, and help improve your chances of legal success.

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished on behalf of our clients and thrilled when justice prevails. We’re committed to achieving justice for workers and we have many success stories of working with victims of workplace discrimination.

In many cases, victims do not report their experiences because they fear that no one will believe them or take them seriously. Sometimes, it can be intimidating just to talk to someone who you aren’t sure will understand the terminology you’re using, let alone understand what you’ve been through. Having a person on your side that understands not only the law but how to navigate a culture of religious discrimination can make a big difference.

At Jackson Spencer Law, our experienced religious discrimination attorneys will ensure your story is heard. If you are facing workplace religious discrimination, we can determine if you have a valid claim, inform you of your rights, and help improve your chances of legal success.

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished on behalf of our clients and thrilled when justice prevails. We’re committed to achieving justice for workers and we have many success stories of working with victims of workplace discrimination.

Contact Us To See If We Can Help