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Race, national origin discrimination may cause issues in Colorado

On Behalf of | Jun 3, 2016 | Workplace Discrimination

Colorado residents may be interested in a discrimination case currently taking place in a different state. Reports indicated that several Muslim workers at an equipment company have filed claims due to religious and national origin discrimination in the workplace. The issues apparently surround the workers’ ability to take prayer breaks in accordance with their religious beliefs.

The workers were previously allowed to take these breaks one at a time after requesting permission from their supervisor. These breaks reportedly coincided with traditional times for prayer and typically occurred five times a day in accordance with the Islam religion. However, changes in policy resulted in those breaks being decreased to two 10-minute breaks per shift and accommodations would not be made for prayer breaks requested at other times. Unsurprisingly, many Muslim employees found issue with the new policy.

As a result of the situation, seven Muslim workers were terminated from their positions while 14 others left their jobs due to the break dispute. Legal action is currently underway in order to address the discrimination problem. A representative for the company for which the individuals worked stated that the complaints were disappointing and that they continue to provide prayer rooms for their remaining Muslim workers.

Instances of race, religious and/or national origin discrimination should not be tolerated in the workplace. If Colorado residents believe they have been in similar situations in which their religious views led to discrimination, they may want to look into their legal options. Information from local and reliable resources is available and may benefit individuals hoping to move forward with a claim.

Source: ABC News, “Muslim Employees File Religious Discrimination Complaint Against Wisconsin Firm Over Prayer Dispute“, Morgan Winsor, May 25, 2016