The management company of an IHOP is being forced to pay a significant amount of money after allegedly firing an employee who refused to work on Sundays.
According to the lawsuit, the man pressed to work on Sundays after allegedly having a prior accommodation for religious reasons.
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In the lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency claims that when the employee was hired in January 2021, he requested and obtained religious accommodation to not work on the designated day.
Later that year, a new general manager at the North Carolina store allegedly expressed hostility toward the accommodation, the CBS affiliate reports. WSPA.
The news outlet reported that the news manager allegedly forced the employee to come to work on Sunday, April 25, and Sunday, May 9.
After working both days, it was reported that the employee told his manager that he had stopped working on Sundays, which allegedly led the general manager to fire him.
IHOP did not immediately respond to US Sun’s request for comment.
In the lawsuit filed by the EEOC, the agency also alleges that the manager made several comments to other employees such as, “religion should not take precedence over [the employee’s] work.”
The lawsuit also alleges that the manager said the employee “thinks it’s more important to go to church than pay the bills.”
The alleged comments and conduct allegedly violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provides for religious accommodation in the workplace as well as protects individuals from religious discrimination and retaliation.
“Religious discrimination is intolerable,” lead lawyer Taittiona Mills told WSPA.
“Employers must respect all sincerely held religious beliefs, which includes providing reasonable accommodations when no undue hardship exists.”
The EEOC, which filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, was able to reach a settlement with the iconic breakfast spot.
Under the terms of the settlement, Suncakes was ordered by the court to pay monetary damages of $40,000 to the employee.
The company will also provide annual training to managers on the provisions of Title VII.
IHOP will also be required to inform its employees about the agreement, as well as revise its current policy to include protections for religious accommodations.
What is Title VII?
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has to do with several protected freedoms in the workplace
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 subsection, Title VII, is generally applied to protect a worker’s religious beliefs.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionTitle VII “prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.”
According to the Title, an “employer” is a person “engaged in an industry affecting commerce and who has fifteen or more employees for each business day in each of the twenty or more calendar weeks of the current or preceding calendar year.”
According to the Act, the term religion is defined as including all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief.
The terms “because of sex” or “on the basis of sex” exist to prevent discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, as well as women affected by pregnancy or childbirth.
The new policy will be posted at all 17 Suncakes-operated stores in North Carolina.
A brief survey by the US Sun revealed that the store is currently looking to fill a assistant manager role.
Despite having nothing to do with the lawsuit, IHOP was forced to close a from their beloved New Hampshire locations last month.
“We are very appreciative of our neighbor’s patronage over the past 24 and a half years and love being a part of this neighborhood,” William Burns, the IHOP franchisee, told WMUR9 last month.
The restaurant was a landmark in the community and was known for its welcoming atmosphere and convenience.
Despite the closure, the franchise stated that it does not intend to close any other stores.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
