The Cost of Religious Discrimination at Work

Employers should never underestimate the consequences of allowing religious discrimination at work. Aside from its ability to negatively affect working relationships and the morale of employees, religious discrimination complaints filed by aggrieved employees can cost serious financial losses to companies.

In the fiscal year of 2010 alone, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported that claims filed and resolved under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 alleging religion-based discrimination has amounted to $10 million.

Most recently, a major retailer in North Carolina was held liable to pay $55,000 as well as other relief in order to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by an employee who was fired for refusing to wear Santa attire.

The former employee, Myra Jones-Abid, who is a member of Jehovah’s Witness, was allegedly required by Belk’s Crabtree Valley Mall store during Christmas season last 2008 to don a Santa hat and apron. However, it is prohibited under her religion to recognize holidays so she refused to wear the holiday attire. Subsequently, she was fired by the company for declining to wear the apparel.

The EEOC then charged Belk with religious discrimination in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the company failed to provide reasonable accommodation to Abid’s sincerely held religious beliefs and even fired her because of it.

Aside from the monetary award to Abid, Belk is also required under the settlement agreement to provide training on religious discrimination to all managers and supervisors in its store and to post a notice about employees’ rights under federal anti-discrimination laws.

Lynette Barnes, the regional attorney for EEOC’s Charlotte District said that, “No employee should be forced to choose between her faith and her job.”

Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees or applicants because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. Reasonable accommodation is actually required to be provided to the religious practices of an employee or prospective employee unless of course this would cause undue hardship on the employer’s business operations.

Thus, the failure of the employer to observe the rights of his employee and to commit an adverse employment decision on the basis of religion (i.e. firing), will expose him to legal liability which may cost him thousands of dollars worth of
compensation.

For more questions about religious discrimination and reasonable accommodation at work, you may call the Mesriani Law Group at (310) 826-6300 or send them an email at info@mesriani.com.

A Walk to Brain Injury Awareness

In celebration of the Brain Injury Awareness Month, hundreds of traumatic brain injury victims, their families and supporters will gather and walk around the state Capitol to raise funds intended to help other TBI victims and increase public awareness throughout the country.

This annual Walk for Thought in Sacramento was spearheaded by the Brain Injury Association of California with about a thousand members to attend the event. Related events will also be held in nine other cities of California.

Kathi Sturgeon, 50, who incurred TBI in a DUI accident three years ago, expressed her joy in participating to the said event. She further revealed that she was able to remember her friend’s name after taking her first couple of steps.

Like Sturgeon, most people with traumatic brain injuries were involved in motor vehicle accidents. Many of them weren’t able to recover thus they have to remain on wheelchairs and still bear with mental, emotional, psychological and cognitive sufferings such as damage to memory, speed of thought and judgment.

Depression or lacks of inhibitions are also common for TBI victims. Hence, brain injury patients must get immediate medical treatment and rehabilitation to have better chances of regaining their lives.

Events like this, I guess, will not only earn money to support the rehabilitation of victims. Knowing that there are organizations and private individuals that support their cause, patients might also be inspired to undergo the hardships.

For us, our brain injury lawyers will remain steadfast in defending their right to suitable compensation. We will work hard to make sure that our clients will get the most compassionate and vigorous legal assistance they deserve.

Heavy Rains and Road Accidents: How External Factors can lead to Car Accidents

In Los Angeles, due to strong wind and heavy rains, big trees fell and caused road obstruction while the road became slippery that caused accidents to some motorists; fortunately, the victims suffered only minor injuries.

Weather reports said the heavy storm on Sunday poured so much water in the entire region that experts say was almost equivalent to the total rainfall of more than the entire season.

The forecast said more rains may be expected in the coming days as the weekend will be cloudy, although with light precipitation.

On this rainy season we should all be careful while on the road. Check the road news and weather forecast before driving out. Don’t go to mountainside for there might have landslide or falling of trees. Neither at the seacoast for there might be high tide and strong waves.

External factors such as road or weather conditions can have adverse effects on driving . Rain, snow or sleet can make the roads slippery and can lead to accidents such as crashes and collisions.

A flooded road or highway also poses other dangers which are sometimes hidden or not visible to the motorists’ eyes such as debris from trees washed away by water, or open drains and manholes. On the other hand, dark ice, which is a thin film of ice and dirt on the road, can also make driving hazardous, causing slippery roads that often results in crashes and collisions.

To help you recover damages from car accidents, you need to consult with an experienced car accident attorney, who can help you determine fault and establish liability in the accident.

A Pioneer High Graduate got killed in Car crash

Sukhpreet Grewal, 18 years old and a Pioneer High graduate got killed when he hit a tree on Montague Expressway just east of Lafayette Street on a wet road. Grewal, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken to Valley Medical Center, where he died because of his injuries. The California Highway Patrol reported that Grewal's GMC Yukon car was traveling at high speed. But on Tuesday they did not release any new details regarding the investigation.

The CHP (California Highway Patrol) did not reveal whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident. However, Grewal’s friend named Joey Tiscornia said that Grewal had been at a house party before the crash had happened. Other friends also said that drinking and driving was not in Grewal's character. They said that he was a man of character, with aspirations and a good role model to others.

Drunk driving and over-speeding are two of the most common causes of death among teenage drivers. In fact, federal statistics show that about 60 percent of all teen deaths in car accidents are alcohol-related.

Unless authorities implement stricter measures in drunk driving violations among teen drivers, the unending cycle of teenage death in car accidents will continue unabated.

The investigation is still ongoing. It was so sad to lose such a young man with big dreams. No matter what the result of the investigation will be, there is still one thing that cannot be changed; the life of Sukhpreet Grewal will never turn back and the life of his loved ones will not be the same anymore.