Employer Reasonably Accommodated Religious Beliefs That Prevented Employee From Working On Fridays
Cynthia Morrissette-Brown, a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, brought suit against her former employer, alleging religious discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Morrissette-Brown asserted that she was terminated from her position as a secretary because her “deep religious convictions” as a Seventh-day Adventist prevented her from working any scheduled Friday or Saturday shift from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The district court entered final judgment after a bench trial, in favor of Morrissette-Brown’s former employer.
On
appeal, the 11th Circuit affirmed, holding that the
employer reasonably accommodated Morrissette-Brown’s
religious beliefs. The employer scheduled all employees on a rotating schedule,
and approved a system of allowing Morrissette-Brown
to swap her scheduled Friday shifts with other employees. The employer also
provided Morrissette-Brown with a master
schedule so that she could find someone to swap shifts with. Additionally, the
employer encouraged Morrissette-Brown to
transfer to another position which did not require work on Fridays.
Morrissette-Brown v. Mobile Infirmary Medical
Center
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals’ jurisdiction includes Alabama, Georgia and Florida.