Gerald Groff, an observant Christian, has sued the United States Postal Service after USPS failed to accommodate his Sabbath observance and give him Sundays off. While USPS does not traditionally deliver mail on Sundays, its package delivery contract with Amazon includes daily deliveries. The case has made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where justices must determine the definition of “undue hardship” within the context of a religious discrimination claim. Existing law defines undue hardship in the context of religious discrimination as de minimis (or negligible), but even the manner in which that is measured is up for debate.
Business Takeaway: A change to the definition of “undue hardship” in the context of a religious discrimination claim could have significant implications for your workplace, as it has been the accepted standard for decades. Stay tuned for the Supreme Court’s decision.