Adapt work schedules to worship, religious TV shows included

Employers are required to adjust work schedules to accommodate their employees' religious observances, even for nontraditional beliefs.

In a recent case, an employee sued for religious discrimination after he was fired for refusing to work on Sunday mornings. His religious practice? He spent Sunday mornings watching religious programs on television. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission backed his lawsuit and negotiated a settlement. The employee got $19,500 and his job back.

Advice: Unless you can prove it puts an "undue hardship" on your business, bend over backward to accommodate a worker's request for a religious accommodation. (EEOC v. Tyson Foods Inc., W.D., Ark, No. 99-5126)