Workplace Religious Accommodations & Expression: Legal Compliance, Emerging Standards, and Best Practices

Greg Grisham | Fisher & Phillips LLP

Greg Grisham is a partner in the Memphis office. For 30 years, Greg has successfully counseled and represented employers in all areas of labor and employment law.

His practice includes all areas of labor and employment law, including helping employers avoid claims, charges, and lawsuits with a focus on preventative practices and the representation of business entities subject to Title III of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) in public accommodation cases.

He has successfully litigated hundreds of administrative charges, employment lawsuits, and arbitration demands on behalf of employers, including federal and state law claims. Greg also represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in unfair labor practice proceedings.

Additionally, he represents employers in the enforcement of post-employment restrictive covenants such as non compete, non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements and related trade secret litigation.

Jason Boulette | Boulette Golden & Marin LLP

Jason Boulette is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the outgoing Chair of the Labor and Employment Section of the State Bar of Texas. Texas Super Lawyers identified Jason as one of the Top 100 lawyers in Texas and one of the Top 50 Lawyers in Central Texas for 2023. Jason was also voted a 2022 Austin Monthly Top Attorney and the 2020 Lawyer of the Year in Management Employment Law. He has also been repeatedly recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson-Reuters), Texas Rising Star (ThomsonReuters), and one of the Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White). Jason is a frequent speaker and has received the W. Page Keeton Award for Excellence in Continuing Legal Education. Previously with Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Jason founded Boulette & Golden L.L.P. with Mike Golden in 2006. Now known as Boulette Golden & Marin, the firm represents employers in employment, litigation, and corporate immigration matters.

Session I – Religious Accommodations in the Workplace: Employer Obligations and Compliance Strategies | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• Understanding the legal framework
  • Title VII and religious discrimination protections
  • The evolving definition of “religion” in employment law
  • Employer obligations under Title VII to provide religious accommodations
• The impact of Groff v. DeJoy and litigation risks
• Managing workplace conflicts and best practices
  • Addressing conflicts between religious expression and workplace policies
  • Balancing employee religious rights with corporate values and diversity initiatives
  • The role of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in religious accommodation claims

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Session II – The New Standard for Religious Expression at Work: Balancing Rights and Navigating Workplace Conflicts | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• Understanding the breadth of the term of “religion” under Title VII
• Discuss how they will likely change the practice of religion at work
• Articulate the new standard for evaluating requests for religious accommodation at work following the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Groff v DeJoy
• Predict how this new standard will affect the standard approach to religious accommodation requests at work
• Explore the conflict between one employee’s right to practice religion and another employee’s right to be free of it and how to navigate it