PowerPoint presentation on religious accommodations in the workplace

1. Turbans, Tattoos and
Twitter: Legal Issues in
Today’s Workplace

3. True or False?
All employers in Minnesota are
required to offer religious
accommodations to their
employees.

4. True or False?
Only established and widely-known
religions must be accommodated.

5. True or False?
An employer can be liable for failure to
accommodate even if the employee does
not notify the employer of his or her
religious beliefs.

6. True or False?
To bring a claim of discrimination for
failure to offer religious accommodations,
an employee must suffer some adverse
employment action (e.g. termination or
demotion).

7. True or false?
An employer must accommodate
an employee’s request.

8. The Bus Stops Here

9. True of False?
An accommodation request can be
refused if it would conflict with the
image that the company wants to
portray to the public.

10. Public image, policy and piercings

11. Head Scarves Part I

12. THANK YOU!
Questions?
Karen Lundquist
Avanti Law, LLC
952-921-8322

13. Pins and Patriotism

14. Tit for Tat
• Deputy was fired for his arm tattoo after a
a year of being on the force
• Deputy was a veteran of Marine Corps and a
former firefighter
• He was fired for his refusal to remove the
tattoo that is an image showing 5 years of
service in the armed forces & 2 tours of Iraq
• Policy restricted visible tattoos, but he had
it covered with a fitted black band or long
sleeved uniform

15. (Don’t) Walk Like an Egyptian
• Edward Rangel was a waiter at Red Robin
Gourmet Burgers
• He is part of an ancient Egyptian religion
which does not allow him to hide his tattoos
or religious inscriptions
• He was fired because they told him to cover
up his tattoos and he did not
• He was paid $150,000 to settle the case

16. Ring, Ring….You’re Fired
• Woman fired from Costco because she refused to
remove her eyebrow ring
• Woman said that the company discriminated
against her religion- Church of Body Modification
• Woman said it was a sign of faith to wear the ring
• Church of Body Modification- 1000 members-
piercing and tattoos
• Companies balancing employees’ religious beliefs
and what is in the best interests of the company

17. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
• Christopher Polk worked for FedEx in Indianapolis
as a delivery driver
• He is a practicing Rastafarian who wears
dreadlocks as part of that faith
• FedEx had a grooming policy that required men
to have reasonable style hair dos
• He was told either cut off his dreadlocks or
transfer to a low paying job where he would have
no interaction with customers
• He refused and was fired