Quiz #96 Describing Title VII in just one sentence

Religion Law Quiz #91 asked how you would explain “strict scrutiny” to a kindergartner.  In keeping with that theme (i.e., you only truly understand a concept when you can intelligently teach it to someone much younger and less knowledgeable than yourself), how would you, in just one sentence, describe what Title VII requires of employers for employees who seek a religious accommodation? 

 

(Scroll down for the answer)

 

Answer:  Here’s how the Supreme Court did it in late June of this year.  “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to accommodate the religious practice of their employees unless doing so would impose an ‘undue hardship on the conduct of the employer's business.’ 78 Stat. 253, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(j).”  Groff v. DeJoy, 143 S. Ct. 2279, 2286 (2023). 

 

Disclaimer: The Religion Law Quizzes are provided as a service to you. They are intended only for educational purposes. Nothing in the Quizzes is intended to be legal advice and they should not be relied upon as conclusive on any issue discussed therein.

 

HERE IS AN AI GENERATED SUMMARY OF TODAY’S PODCAST

 

Welcome to yet another insightful episode of the Religion Law Podcast hosted by Michael Fielding. In this episode, we continue our journey through the Supreme Court's case, Groff v. DeJoy while revisiting and exploring the theme of religion law quiz #91 in a new light.

Shining a spotlight on the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this podcast episode challenges listeners to comprehend its essence and communicate it in a simple sentence. The main focus is on what Title VII demands employers to do for employees seeking religious accommodations.

Through an engaging narrative, the episode introduces the Supreme Court's interpretation of Title VII: employers are required to make allowances for an employee's religious practice unless it significantly disrupts the operation of the employer's business.

In a practical demonstration of Title VII, the episode shares a real-life example of how a local amusement park accommodated a teenager's request not to work on Sundays owing to her religious practices. Highlighting the win-win scenario that Title VII can create, it emphasizes the ability to practice one's religion while keeping their job, given the employer can afford the accommodation without considerable burden.

Designed as the second in a series of seven quizzes shedding light on the Supreme Court's Groffy DeJoy decision, the podcast educates, challenges, and prepares listeners for the subsequent episode. Tune in to experience a culturally and legally enriching discussion on the topic of religious accommodation in the workplace!

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Welcome to another episode of the Religion Law Podcast, where you learn about
religious freedom and other religion law-related topics through a short question-and-answer format.
I'm your host, Michael Fielding.
Let's see how you do on today's quiz.
Welcome to Religion Law Quiz number 96. All right.

(00:26):
We are continuing our discussion of the Supreme Court's graph,
the DeJoy, but we are also looping back in time to religion law quiz number 91.
Oh, that feels so long ago.
Now, if you recall in religion law quiz number 91, you were asked to explain
or how you would explain strict scrutiny to a kindergartner.

(00:47):
Now, in keeping with that theme, i.e., you only truly understand a concept when
you can intelligently teach it to someone much younger and less knowledgeable than yourself,
how would you, in just one single sentence, describe what Title VII requires

(01:07):
of employers for employees who seek a religious accommodation? accommodation.
What do you think? How would you do that? Just a single sentence.
If I came up to you on the street and I said, hey, will you please explain to
me in just one sentence what Title VII requires of employees for employees who

(01:31):
are wanting religious accommodation?
How would you respond to that question?
Well, this is how the Supreme Court answered it. And again, this comes from
the Groff v. DeJoy decision.
I'll have the citation in the show notes. The Supreme Court said,
quote, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to accommodate

(01:56):
the religious practice of their employees unless doing so would impose an undue
hardship on the conduct of the employer's business, close quote.
All right, so that is Title VII in a nutshell, in a single sentence.
You have Title VII, it comes from the Civil Rights Act of 1964,

(02:19):
and it requires that the employers accommodate an employee's religious practice
unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer's business.
So you see the statute has a bit of a balancing test here that if you have an

(02:42):
employee who wants to get a religious accommodation that the employer needs
to do so unless there's going to be a hardship imposed.
Now, I've mentioned this a few times on some prior podcasts,
but I'll give you an example of the religion law quiz in action.
So several years ago, my daughter, when she was a teenager, she got a job at a local amusement park.

(03:09):
And for a summer job. And they were scheduling her, I think,
five days a week, maybe. I don't recall.
But I do specifically recall that they had scheduled her to work on Sunday.
And attending church in our home is really important.
Sabbath day observance is important. And my daughter said, you know,
I really don't want to work on Sunday.

(03:30):
I really don't like it. And she was really struggling with that.
Well, I knew of Title VII, and I said, hey, why don't you just go talk to the
HR department and say, I like to attend church on Sunday.
Could you adjust my schedule so that I don't have to do it? And my daughter went and did that.
And it's an easy accommodation, especially when you are an amusement park and

(03:52):
you have literally hundreds of teenagers working for you.
They just changed your schedule, found somebody else that wanted to work on
Sunday. and then my daughter was able to work during the weekdays and not on Sunday.
I always like to think of Title VII as practicing your religion and keeping your job too.

(04:15):
Kind of a pun on have your cake and eat it too.
But in this situation, much more important, practicing your religion and keeping your job too.
And obviously, the employers need to do an accommodation unless it would be
an undue burden on them. All right.
As I mentioned on quiz number 95, quizzes 95 through 101 are going to be talking

(04:36):
about the Supreme Court's Groffy DeJoy decision.
So I will see you on quiz number 97 when we will continue this discussion.

(05:01):
You. Until we meet again, keep being an influence for good.
Music.