Apple to pay $150,000 to settle federal discrimination suit over Jewish employee’s Shabbat observance
Apple will pay $150,000 to settle a federal religious-discrimination lawsuit involving a Jewish employee who alleged the company refused to accommodate his observance of the Sabbath, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced on Thursday.According to the lawsuit, the employee, who was based at an Apple store in Reston, Va., requested a schedule that would allow him to be off from Friday evening through Saturday evening to observe Shabbat. Apple rejected the request after adopting a new policy requiring weekend work, the federal agency stated.The EEOC also alleged that the store manager who denied the accommodation later fired the employee in January 2024 because of his religion and in retaliation for complaints about the manager’s disparaging comments about his faith and the denial of his accommodation request.“Accommodating an employee’s religious beliefs is not optional,” Debra Lawrence, the EEOC’s Philadelphia regional attorney, stated. “It is an obligation mandated by federal law…
Apple will pay $150,000 to settle a federal religious-discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of a Jewish employee. The employee, based at an Apple store in Reston, Virginia, alleged that Apple refused to accommodate his request for time off from Friday evening to Saturday evening to observe Shabbat. The EEOC stated that Apple rejected the request after implementing a new weekend work policy and that the store manager later fired the employee in January 2024 due to his religion and in retaliation for complaints about the denial and disparaging comments. Debra Lawrence, the EEOC’s Philadelphia regional attorney, emphasized, “Accommodating an employee’s religious beliefs is not optional.”
- Apple will pay the former employee $80,000 in back wages and $70,000 in damages.
- Under a two-year consent decree, Apple will revise its religious-accommodation policies and provide written explanations for denials.
- The company must also train managers and HR personnel on religious accommodation and retaliation, and submit reports to the EEOC.
© All rights to the original article belong to the source. Din Online shows a headline, an excerpt and a link only. The objectivity rating is computed automatically and is an estimate only.
Discussion
No comments yet — be the first to comment.