Firm to host seminar on religion in the workplace

 Raising the Bar, an educational series raising employer awareness of current issues in employment and labor law and offered by Detroit-based management side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Law PC, returns Thursday, June 5, to discuss new EEOC guidelines for employers to better understand and manage religious accommodations in the workplace.  

According to Terry Bonnette, a partner at Nemeth Law PC, there has been a 120 percent increase in the number of religious discrimination cases filed with the EEOC in the past 15 years and a 46 percent increase in the number of cases filed within the past seven years. The financial impact to employers? The EEOC has recovered monetary damages averaging $11 million to $12 million per year for the past three years. 

“In March, the EEOC issued guidance to employers for managing requests for religious accommodation in the workplace, specifically as applied to dress and grooming guidelines,” said Bonnette. “Given the spike in religious discrimination claims, the new guidelines and the financial penalties, employers should take the opportunity to review their policies on religious accommodation in the workplace to guard against religious discrimination claims.”  

Topics to be covered at the Managing Religion in the Workplace series include:

• Defining religion according to the EEOC.

• Understanding whose responsibility it is when setting flexible work schedules, extra breaks and personal leave.

• Clarifying what are enforceable grooming policies, dress codes and appearance guidelines.

• Defining what constitutes notice that accommodation is needed.

• Differentiating between reasonable accommodations and undue burdens.

• Exploring the difference between freedom of religion and freedom from religion.

 Raising the Bar will be held on Thursday, June 5, from 9 a.m. until noon at the Troy Marriott,  200 W. Big Beaver Rd. Continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. The cost of the event is $60 per person and pre-registration is required. To register, e-mail Pamela Perkowski at pperkowski@nemethlawpc.com or call 313-567-5921. 

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