It just became very easy for an employee to sue their employer for failure to accommodate religious beliefs. Today, in its Groff v. DeJoy opinion, the United States Supreme Court unanimously held that an employer must make such an accommodation unless it would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its business. Before this ruling, an employer could easily reject such accommodation requests so long as it could establish a minimal burden on its business. The case involved Gerald Groff who worked for USPS. Groff requested an accommodation so that he would not have to work on Sundays. USPS rejected his request, and he brought suit in federal court for violation of Title VII.
What does this mean for employers? Employers who receive religious accommodation requests from employees must carefully evaluate the costs of granting these requests.