Supreme Court Strengthens Religious Accommodation Rights for Workers

The US Supreme Court unanimously ruled that employers must meet a higher standard when evaluating the burden of a worker's religious accommodation request. The court declined to overturn a previous decision that employers only need to show a minimal, "undue" burden to reject a religion-based accommodation. Instead, the court clarified that Title VII requires employers to demonstrate that granting the accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to their particular business. The decision is seen as a victory for minority faiths, as it makes it harder for employers to override accommodation requests based on minor inconveniences.