by First Liberty Institute • 2 minutes
Great news for our client, Connor Dorsey, a shipping manager for Amazon in Canton, Mississippi. The company has agreed to grant a religious accommodation so that Connor—who’s a devout Catholic—can observe the Sabbath on Sundays and and other Holy Days of Obligation.
When Amazon began scheduling him for shifts on Sundays, Connor was forced to use his PTO each Sunday in order to follow his conscience and uphold his religious commitments. He requested an accommodation and asked to switch to an open position so he could observe the Sabbath.
Amazon initially said “No” to Connor’s request. After First Liberty sent a demand letter, the company quickly and impressively corrected course.
Management agreed to accommodate Connor’s observances with a schedule that fully aligns with his religious beliefs.
“Amazon’s actions in this situation serve as a great example,” said Cliff Martin, Senior Counsel for First Liberty,“that all companies must follow federal law when religious accommodation requests are submitted by employees.”
First Liberty’s U.S. Supreme Court victory in Groff v. DeJoy set a major precedent strengthening legal protections for people of faith at work. The 9-0 ruling changed the legal standard for workplace accommodation, making it much more favorable for religious employees.
“Amazon has taken the right action,” Martin continued, “based on Supreme Court precedent set in Groff, which made it clear that a religious accommodation must be granted unless it poses an undue hardship on the business, not just a minor inconvenience.”
Even with that precedent, religious discrimination in the workplace remains a serious problem. Employers have been slow to adjust religious accommodation policies following our victory in Groff.
More companies would do well to follow Amazon’s lead. Religious accommodation requests are here to stay, and companies that follow the Supreme Court’s direction aren’t just doing what the law requires. They’re also doing what’s right and beneficial for hardworking Americans.
The of this case goes to show that employees don’t have to choose between their faith and their job. On the contrary, it’s a prime example that religious freedom and workplace productivity can coexist.
