The Supreme Court made a significant ruling on Thursday regarding religious rights in the workplace. The case involves a former mail carrier, Gerald Groff, who quit his job at the U.S. Postal Service after being forced to deliver packages on Sundays, which conflicted with his Sabbath observance. Groff’s lawyers argued that a decades-old Supreme Court decision undermines religious protections by allowing employers to deny accommodations that would cause more than a minor inconvenience.
In a unanimous decision penned by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., the Supreme Court did not overturn the previous precedent but clarified that employers must meet a higher standard to reject a worker’s request related to religious observance. The case focuses on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits religious discrimination in the workplace and requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee’s observance unless it imposes an “undue hardship” on the business. The court ruled that an undue hardship should be considered “when a burden is substantial in the overall context of an employer’s business.”
The Supreme Court’s opinion did not address whether the Postal Service should have accommodated Groff’s request not to work on Sundays. The case will now be sent back to the lower courts to apply the new standard.
The Biden administration supported the decision to maintain the previous standard, stating that it provides meaningful protection for religious observance without burdening employers and co-workers. Justice Alito clarified that the court’s ruling is unlikely to have a major impact on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s guidance going forward.
Groff’s legal team from the First Liberty Institute welcomed the ruling, as it will require more employers to grant accommodations to religious workers seeking to honor their holy days or practice their beliefs. The Postal Service expressed confidence in prevailing when the case is remanded, stating that their accommodation policies align with the court’s decision.
During oral arguments, the justices appeared interested in finding a compromise that balances religious rights and the burden on employers and co-workers. However, several members of the conservative majority had already expressed skepticism about the previous decision. The Supreme Court has shown an increasing protection of religious liberty, often favoring religious conservatives in recent cases.
Religious liberty scholars emphasized that allowing accommodations for religious workers does not discriminate against others, comparing it to allowances made for disability, pregnancy, and family medical issues.
Overall, this ruling by the Supreme Court clarifies the standard employers must meet to deny accommodations related to religious observance. The case will have to be re-evaluated in the lower courts, taking into account the new standard set by the Supreme Court.
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