June 2, 2023

On May 9, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Texas-based Suncakes, LLC, d/b/a IHOP, for violating federal law by requiring an employee in its Charlotte, North Carolina location to work on Sundays despite previously granting them religious accommodation.

The lawsuit alleges that after a change in management, the new general manager began scheduling the employee to work on Sundays, expressed hostility towards the employee’s religious observance and fired the employee when they attempted to exercise their federally-protected rights. The EEOC asserts that such conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which provides for religious accommodations in the workplace and protects individuals from religious discrimination and retaliation.

The EEOC seeks monetary relief, including back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and injunctive relief to end ongoing religious discrimination and to prevent such conduct in the future.

The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina as Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Suncakes, LLC, d/b/a IHOP, Case No. 3:23-cv-00274 (W.D.N.C.).

50-State Compliant Accommodations Training for Employees and Managers

Consistent with EEOC guidelines and court decisions, Traliant’s online disability, pregnancy, and religious accommodations training covers how to comply with the law and additional obligations for compliance. Traliant’s accommodations training addresses all of the required content of all federal and state laws. As required by the ADA and various state and local laws, the training addresses topics such as the ADA’s definition of a “qualified person with a disability” and “‘essential functions’ of a job.”

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Complete Accommodations & EEO Compliance Program

To comply with federal guidelines and state laws, employers must ensure that all aspects of their Disability, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations program are fully compliant. With its in-house legal expertise, Traliant provides employers a complete accommodation awareness program with the following elements:

  • Employee Training on How to Comply with Disability, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodation Laws
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  • Sensitivity Coaching

Contact us to schedule a free consultation and review of your accommodation policies here.

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By

Elissa Rossi