Religious discrimination suit filed against McDonald’s

Discrimination at work is unacceptable and illegal in California and across the country. Despite being illegal, many employees are discriminated against in California for a variety of reasons. What types of workplace discrimination are there?

Employees can be discriminated against based on their race, religion, gender, age, sexual preference or national origin. Employment discrimination can result in an employee losing his or her job, being denied a promotion or being subjected to harassment.

A recent discrimination case in California is an example of the legal action employees can take if they have been or are being discriminated against at work. A civil lawsuit was filed against the popular fast-food chain restaurant after an employee said he was told he could not wear a beard at work. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed that lawsuit against McDonald’s, saying that the company violated the employee’s civil rights.

The Muslim employee was a crew trainer at McDonald’s and wanted to grow a beard for religious reasons. When he asked his employer if he could grow the beard, he was told he couldn’t. The employee then quit his job.

The religious discrimination lawsuit resulted in a settlement. McDonald’s agreed to pay the employee $50,000 and to make sure all employees are trained on anti-discrimination policies to make sure religious discrimination like this doesn’t happen again.

This case is an example of the legal action employers can face for workplace discrimination. Employees being harassed or not receiving adequate accommodations for their religious beliefs can file a civil lawsuit against their employer. The EEOC may also file a lawsuit for violations. Employees who believe they have been discriminated against should contact an employment law attorney to discuss their specific cases.

Source: CBS Sacramento, “McDonald’s To Pay $50,000 To Muslim Employee In Discrimination Lawsuit,” Dec. 20, 2013