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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) general counsel held a series of dialogue sessions this week to highlight the EEOC’s efforts on behalf of individuals facing religious discrimination and invite input from stakeholders on how the EEOC can improve its development and litigation of religious discrimination claims.

The sessions were conducted by EEOC General Counsel Sharon Fast Gustafson through the general counsel’s Religious Discrimination Work Group, chaired by Assistant General Counsel Christine Lambrou Johnson

WASHINGTON – Today, by a vote of 3-2, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to publish a proposed update to its Compliance Manual Section on Religious Discrimination (“Manual”) for public comment.  The updated guidance describes in what ways Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) protects individuals from religious discrimination in the workplace and sets forth the legal protections available to religious employers.

The current version of the Manual

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a Commission meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic it will be a remote, audio-only meeting.

 In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the public may listen to the conference by following the instructions that will be posted on www.eeoc.gov 24 hours prior to the meeting. Closed captioning services will be available.  

During the

DALLAS — Quest Diagnostics, a provider of medical diagnostic information services that aid in the diagnosis and detection of diseases, violated federal law when it refused to accommodate the religi­ous beliefs of a long-term employee and subsequently fired her, the U.S. Equal Employment Oppor­tunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the employee, a phlebotomist, is a practicing Seventh-day Adventist who began working for Quest Diagnostics in 2008

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Frito-Lay, Inc., a Plano, Texas-based subsidiary of PepsiCo that manufactures and distributes snack foods, violated federal law when it fired a newly promoted route sales representative because he could not train for the position on Saturdays due to his religious beliefs, the U.S. Equal Employ­ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a West Palm Beach Frito-Lay warehouse employee applied for and received

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Kroger Company, doing business as Kroger Store No. 625 in Conway, Ark., violated federal law when it fired two employees who asked for a religious accommodation to avoid wearing an emblem they believed contradicted their religious beliefs, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed yesterday.         

According to the EEOC’s suit, the Conway Kroger implemented a new dress code, which included an apron depicting a

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Tennessee-based Wellpath, LLC, a provider of health services in correctional facilities, violated federal law when it refused to accommodate the religious beliefs of a nurse, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a nurse who is a practicing Apostolic Pentecostal Christian was hired by Wellpath to work in the GEO Central Texas Correctional Facility in downtown San Antonio. Before

ORLANDO, Fla. – Chalfont & Associates Group, Inc., owner of 11 McDonald’s restaurants in the Greater Orlando Central Florida area, has agreed to pay $69,555 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to EEOC’s lawsuit, McDonald’s refused to hire a Jewish applicant as a part-time maintenance worker because, due to his religious practices, he would not shave

NEW YORK – Pediatrics 2000, a Manhattan private medical practice serving children and teens, has agreed to pay $68,000 and take substantial non-monetary action to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Pediatrics 2000 was aware that its worker was a Jehovah’s Witness when she was hired and initially accommodated her request not to work on Wednesdays due to her

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today the settlement of an age discrimination lawsuit against Pasadena, Calif.-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The laboratory has agreed to pay $10 million, along with injunctive relief, in order to reach an early resolution of the suit.

According to the EEOC, JPL systemically laid off employees over the age of 40 in favor of retaining younger employees. The complaint also alleges that older employees

SAN DIEGO – Albertsons LLC, a national retail grocery chain, has agreed to pay $210,000 to settle a class national origin discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC’s lawsuit charged that Albertsons allowed a manager to harass Hispanic employees, particularly limited English-speaking employees, because they spoke Spanish, at an Albertsons store on Lake Murray Blvd. in La Mesa, California, formerly Store No. 6785. 

Such

PHILADELPHIA – Service Caster Corporation, one of the largest caster and wheel companies in North America, will pay $85,000 and furnish significant equitable relief to settle a federal national origin and religious harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC charged that West Reading, Pa.-based Service Caster subjected two assemblers and one assembly line supervisor to a hostile work environment because of their