Written by Don Byrd
The California Judiciary Committee voted 9-0 yesterday to advance the Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2012 (read the bill here). The legislation has bi-partisan and interfaith support, as well as the backing of civil and religious liberty advocates.
“It is a testament to the importance of religious freedom in the workplace that AB 1964 has the support of Sikhs, Muslims, Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, members of the Jewish community, labor groups and both Democratic and Republican legislators,” said Yamada, D-Davis. “This bill ensures equal employment opportunity for thousands of Californians who have been relegated to second-class status in their jobs because of their religious observances or appearance.”
AB 1964, a number chosen to reflect its relationship to the landmark federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, states that undue hardship, as defined in the Definitions section of FEHA, will also apply to the Religious Discrimination section. This change clears up legal confusion of federal vs. state definitions of “undue hardship”. The bill would also specify that religious clothing and hairstyles qualify as a religious belief or observance and that segregating an employee from customers or the public is not a reasonable accommodation of an employee’s religious beliefs.
Kudos to California’s Judiciary Committee for this progress. A federal Workplace Religious Freedom Act with similar bi-partisan support has been proposed in previous sessions of Congress but hasn’t made its way out of committee.
