Workplace Discrimination Cases Involving Atheism

Workplace discrimination on the basis of one's religion is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as in other state statutes. Treating applicants or employees differently, subjecting them to harassment, rejecting a request for reasonable accommodation, as well as retaliating against them on the basis of their religion, are illegal in any aspect of employment, from hiring to termination.


According to the Charge Statistics of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claims of religious discrimination accounted for nearly 4 percent of all charges filed during the Fiscal Year 2012. A total of 3,811 cases involving workplace bias on the basis of religion were filed that year, as opposed to the previous fiscal year's 4,151 cases.


Title VII, according to the EEOC, protects all aspects of religious observance and practices of people practicing not only traditional and organized religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Employee protections also cover religious beliefs and practices that are "new, uncommon, not part of a formal church or sect, only subscribed to by a small number of people, or that seem illogical or unreasonable to others."

Discrimination involving atheism

While most cases of discrimination usually involve employees who practice traditional religious beliefs, there have been also cases where in people who believe in atheistic views have also been involved in such a workplace bias. An example of this is when a religious employee is being consistently bombarded with atheism-related reiterations, which could cause a hostile working environment. This is a form of harassment which is prohibited under federal and state employment laws.


Recently, scientist Dr. Martin Gaskell sued the University of Kentucky after he was denied the job of new student observatory director at the University of Kentucky due to his Christian belief. The search committee responsible for the recruitment felt that "his Christian faith could conflict with his duties as a scientist, calling him 'something close to a creationist' and 'potentially evangelical.'"


He filed a discrimination case against the education institution in 2009. A settlement was reached two years later, with the university paying $125,000.00 in exchange for dropping the religious discrimination lawsuit.


Nothing new, even today


This issue is nothing new in today's society. Sometimes, it is the other way around; there have also been instances wherein atheists have suffered discrimination and harassment from others who believe and practice traditional and organized religious beliefs. These happen not only in the workplace, but in the school system, politics, as well as in the media.


Nowadays, prejudice against atheists is not only within the realm of theory and harsh language. For some people inclined to their traditional beliefs, atheists are perceived as immoral, untrustworthy, and, at times, evil. With these perceptions, it is expected for anti-atheists to treat them as inferiors. Such a situation is no better than the discrimination experienced by the Jews in WWII, as well as the African-Americans before the civil rights movement.


Meanwhile, for more information about atheism and employment discrimination, one may consult with Los Angeles employment lawyers. Get more information by visiting the http://life-styleo.blogspot.com .