Requesting Sunday off for ‘religious reasons’ not enough

Employees who want to alter their schedule to accommodate religious needs need to do more than simply mention religion generally. At a minimum, they need to explain their religious practices.

Recent case: Pavolo sued after he was terminated from his retail position for allegedly allowing rampant employee discounts. Pavolo claimed he once asked for Sunday off for religious reasons and didn’t get it.

The court rejected the religious accommodations claim because Pavolo never explained what his religious practice was or why he needed the schedule change. The court also noted that he had actually asked to be scheduled for another Sunday, presumably casting doubt on the sincerity of the request. His case was dismissed. (Venezia v. Luxottica Retail, No. 13-CIV-4467, SD NY, 2015)