Martinez Animal Hospital agreed to pay a former employee $20,000 after an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concluded the animal hospital had subjected the employee to mandatory training contrary to his religious beliefs, the EEOC announced. When the employee objected to the training, which incorporated religious content, and requested to be excused from future trainings, he was terminated within days, the EEOC investigation found. The conduct violates the federal Civil Rights Act, which prohibits retaliation by an employer against protected activity including requests for religious accommodations, the commission said in a press statement.
The veterinary facility in Martinez has also agreed to revise its non-discrimination policies, conduct training for all employees, and post a notice on equal employment rights in English and Spanish, the EEOC said. Martinez Animal Hospital did not respond to a request for comment. “I expressed my concerns to management over training I was required to attend and was soon fired,” said the employee, who the commission did not identify. “I’m very glad the EEOC defended my right to speak up and ask for a religious accommodation, such as an exemption from religious-based content that made me uncomfortable.” EEOC Oakland Office director Carlos Rocha commended the animal hospital’s “commitment to preventing any future retaliation.” “This case should serve as a reminder for employers to train supervisors and representatives to recognize what may constitute protected activity under federal EEO laws and how to respond in a way that does not interfere with workers’ rights,” Rocha said.
What specifically – “…mandatory training contrary to his religious beliefs, “. I would like to know and find a way to get out of mandatory training!
It’s whacko woke ultra liberal California.
My religious beliefs include the prohibition of manual labor. I think I’ll refuse to do my job, and sue the employer when I get fired, because my religious beliefs were abused.
I’ve worked jobs where I totally disagreed with the philosophies and beliefs of business owners and managers.
Working at those places didn’t mean that I agreed with and submitted to their different life philosophies.
I saw it objectively- Do a job and get a paycheck. And, they were paying me to be there.
I never expected to be mommyed and coddled by my employers when I moved out and was on my own.
I guess the country is a different place, these days.
p.s.
No one forced me to work there.
I work a job, at the government, where I have to call a man a woman if he so chooses. If I DO participate in reality and call the man a man, I could get fired. This is not only against my religious beliefs, but also against my common sense and general basic science. But I do think the tide is changing back to sanity in the government. It is slower for CA, though. So, these things DO happen. And I certainly hope he got money for something like this and not something made up.
If they pay me a good salary I will call a co-worker a salamander, if that’s what the person identifies with and wants to be called.
I’d very much like to hear what training he objected
to and how it was conducted before I get
my drawers in a wad.
Exactly.