Religious Discrimination
Religious Discrimination at Work: Know Your Rights
If you believe you’ve been treated unfairly at work because of your religion — or denied a reasonable accommodation for your religious practice — you may have a legal claim. The right path forward depends on where you work and who you work for. For a general overview of how DC, Maryland, and federal employment law differ, see our Employment Discrimination overview. This page covers what’s specifically distinctive about religious discrimination claims.
What Is Religious Discrimination?
Religious discrimination happens when an employer treats you unfairly because of your religious beliefs or practices — or the lack of religious belief. This can include:
- Being passed over for hiring, promotion, or a raise because of your religion
- Religious harassment or a hostile work environment based on your beliefs
- Being denied a reasonable accommodation for religious practice, such as a schedule change for religious observance or an exception to a dress/grooming policy
- Retaliation against an employee who requests an accommodation or reports religious discrimination
The law protects traditional, organized religions as well as sincerely held religious, ethical, or moral beliefs — and it protects employees who hold no religious beliefs at all.
Federal Protection: Title VII and the Right to Accommodation
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the core federal law prohibiting religious discrimination. It applies to employers with 15 or more employees, and it does something most other protected categories don’t: it requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation for an employee’s religious practice — such as adjusting a schedule for a Sabbath observance, or allowing religious dress or grooming — unless doing so would cause the employer an “undue hardship.”
As with race discrimination, Title VII allows compensatory and punitive damages for religious discrimination claims, subject to the same tiered cap, generally ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 depending on employer size.
A Major Recent Change: Groff v. DeJoy (2023)
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court significantly strengthened employees’ rights in this area. For decades, employers only had to show that an accommodation would cost “more than a de minimis” (trivial) amount to deny it — a very low bar. In Groff v. DeJoy, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected that standard, holding that an employer must now show the accommodation would cause “substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business.”
This is a meaningfully higher bar for employers. Courts have since made clear that things like coworker complaints or general inconvenience, on their own, are not enough to justify denying a religious accommodation — the employer must show a real, substantial impact on the business itself.
Which Laws Apply to You?
Title VII is your baseline protection almost everywhere — but depending on your employer and location, you may have additional protections, different filing deadlines, and a different process entirely. Select the situation that matches yours:
I work for a private employer or local government in Washington, DC.
DC law covers smaller employers than federal law, allows uncapped compensatory and punitive damages, and has its own accommodation and filing rules. Learn about religious discrimination protections in DC
I work for a private employer or local government in Maryland.
Maryland has its own state law protections, filing process, and deadlines. Learn about religious discrimination protections in Maryland
I am a federal government employee.
Federal employees follow an entirely different process — including a strict 45-day deadline to contact an EEO Counselor — regardless of whether you work in DC, Maryland, or elsewhere. Learn about religious discrimination protections for federal employees
What Compensation or Remedies Are Available?
- Reinstatement or a comparable position
- Back pay for lost wages
- Front pay, in some cases
- Compensatory damages, including for emotional distress
- Punitive damages, in cases involving egregious or malicious conduct
- Attorney’s fees and costs
Note: Title VII caps compensatory and punitive damages by employer size, while the DCHRA does not. See the jurisdiction-specific pages above for details.
Talk to a Religious Discrimination Attorney
You don’t have to figure out which laws apply to you on your own. If you believe you’ve experienced religious discrimination or been wrongly denied an accommodation — in DC, Maryland, or as a federal employee — Wilkenfeld Law Office can help you understand your rights and options.
Or call 301.245.3035 · Intake@WilkenfeldLO.com