Religious Discrimination Lawyers in South Carolina and North Carolina
The religious discrimination attorneys at Herrmann and Murphy can help if your employer has discriminated against you based on your religion or the refusal to practice a certain faith. Call our firm at 704.940.6399 or 864.516.7526 or request a consultation.
What is Religious Discrimination?
Religious discrimination is when an employer treats you unfavorably because of your religious beliefs, practices, or observances. Whether an employer is discriminating against an employee for practicing their faith or for refusing to practice their boss’s faith, the law is there to protect them. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist, and agnostic employees from religious discrimination:
“The law protects not only people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs. Religious discrimination can also involve treating someone differently because that person is married to (or associated with) an individual of a particular religion.”
North Carolina state law also prohibits employers from firing you because of your religion.
See answers to other frequently asked questions about religious discrimination in the workplace.
EEOC Guidance on Religious Discrimination
Religious discrimination can take many forms and the law provides claims for harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or denial of accommodations. Comments attacking employees based on their religion can be extremely hurtful and disruptive.
The law requires employers to reasonably accommodate employees’ religious beliefs. This means an employer may be required to make reasonable adjustments to the work environment that will allow an employee to practice his or her religion.
Too often courts have watered down these protections by exempting businesses from doing so if providing an accommodation would cause more than a “minimal burden” on the operations of the employer’s business. However, the standard for what constitutes undue hardship was clarified by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023, making it harder for employers to deny accommodations without substantial justification.
Speak With a Religious Discrimination Attorney
Religious discrimination is as old as religion itself. Herrmann & Murphy represents employees in North Carolina and South Carolina who have experienced this type of discrimination. If you believe your employer treated you unfairly based on your religious, moral or ethical beliefs, you may have legal options. Contact Herrmann & Murphy to request a consultation with an employment law attorney.
You may also call our local office in Charlotte, NC at 704.940.6399 or our office in Greenville, SC at 864.516.7526 during business hours.
Religious Discrimination FAQs
Title VII requires employees to bring claims to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the discriminatory act. Unfortunately, the EEOC is far more likely to harm your case than to help your cause.
Before going to the EEOC, we strongly recommend you reach out to our discrimination and retaliation attorneys. No matter what, though, you must comply with the 180-day deadline. Therefore, you should file with the EEOC immediately if it has been five months since the adverse employment action occurred.
Strong cases typically involve a documented accommodation request that was denied without reasonable justification. This is further supported with evidence showing a pattern of different treatment compared to employees of other faiths, or direct statements of religious bias.
Herrmann & Murphy will review your situation during a consultation and give you a direct assessment of your options. Request a consultation to discuss further.
Yes. Title VII requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would create an undue hardship for the business. Common accommodations include schedule adjustments for worship services, exceptions to dress codes or grooming policies, and shift swaps for religious holidays.
It is generally helpful to document your accommodation request in writing, and keep a copy of the denial notice. Do not simply accept your employer’s denial without understanding your rights.
Ask your employer to explain the specific burden the accommodation would create. If the explanation is vague or inconsistent with how similar requests from others have been handled, that inconsistency matters. Contact Herrmann & Murphy to request an evaluation of your potential case, and whether the denial of your accommodation request was unlawful.
Yes. Religious harassment that creates a hostile work environment is illegal under Title VII. This includes derogatory comments about your religion, mockery of your religious practices, pressure to participate in religious activities you do not share, or exclusion based on your beliefs. The conduct must be severe or pervasive enough to establish a pattern of behavior that a reasonable person would find the work environment hostile.
Generally, no. Employers cannot ask about your religious beliefs or practices during hiring or at any point in employment, unless you raise the subject in connection with an accommodation request. One notable exception is that religious organizations have specific legal protections to show a preference for employees who share their faith, regardless of whether the role they are hiring for is religious. Contact an employment attorney if you are unsure if your employer or hiring organization engaged in wrongful behavior.
Retaliation for requesting a religious accommodation or reporting religious discrimination is illegal. If your employer demoted you, cut your hours, changed your responsibilities, or fired you after you made an accommodation request or filed a complaint, you may have a separate legal claim of retaliation. Herrmann & Murphy handles both the underlying discrimination and the retaliation in the same case.
Title VII requires employees to bring claims to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the discriminatory act. Unfortunately, the EEOC is far more likely to harm your case than to help your cause.
Before going to the EEOC, we strongly recommend you reach out to our discrimination and retaliation attorneys. No matter what, though, you must comply with the 180-day deadline. Therefore, you should file with the EEOC immediately if it has been five months since the adverse employment action occurred.
Strong cases typically involve a documented accommodation request that was denied without reasonable justification. This is further supported with evidence showing a pattern of different treatment compared to employees of other faiths, or direct statements of religious bias.
Herrmann & Murphy will review your situation during a consultation and give you a direct assessment of your options. Request a consultation to discuss further.
Yes. Title VII requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would create an undue hardship for the business. Common accommodations include schedule adjustments for worship services, exceptions to dress codes or grooming policies, and shift swaps for religious holidays.
It is generally helpful to document your accommodation request in writing, and keep a copy of the denial notice. Do not simply accept your employer’s denial without understanding your rights.
Ask your employer to explain the specific burden the accommodation would create. If the explanation is vague or inconsistent with how similar requests from others have been handled, that inconsistency matters. Contact Herrmann & Murphy to request an evaluation of your potential case, and whether the denial of your accommodation request was unlawful.
Yes. Religious harassment that creates a hostile work environment is illegal under Title VII. This includes derogatory comments about your religion, mockery of your religious practices, pressure to participate in religious activities you do not share, or exclusion based on your beliefs. The conduct must be severe or pervasive enough to establish a pattern of behavior that a reasonable person would find the work environment hostile.
Generally, no. Employers cannot ask about your religious beliefs or practices during hiring or at any point in employment, unless you raise the subject in connection with an accommodation request. One notable exception is that religious organizations have specific legal protections to show a preference for employees who share their faith, regardless of whether the role they are hiring for is religious. Contact an employment attorney if you are unsure if your employer or hiring organization engaged in wrongful behavior.
Retaliation for requesting a religious accommodation or reporting religious discrimination is illegal. If your employer demoted you, cut your hours, changed your responsibilities, or fired you after you made an accommodation request or filed a complaint, you may have a separate legal claim of retaliation. Herrmann & Murphy handles both the underlying discrimination and the retaliation in the same case.
