In The Golden State we have many great protections as employees and the new AB 1964 passed recently by Gov. Brown, provides even further reaching protection. The new rules are in addition to the standing California Fair Employment and Housing Act code 12926.
The purpose of the laws included in the FEHA have been put in place specifically to protect anyone applying for housing or employment from any form of discrimination, these laws have been rather fluid as cases of clear discrimination present themselves in new forms then new protecting have been added, as in the case of AB 1964. The protections provided previously were extended on the following basis:
-The person’s marital status
-The applicant’s age
-The person’s ethnicity or national origin
-Any mental condition, physical disabilities or medical conditions
-The person’s genetic information, such as predisposition for hereditary illness
-The applicant’s sexual orientation, gender identification and gender expression
In the addition of AB 1964 we are now given the protection of “religious creed,” which extends to the dress and grooming of any specific religious belief or heritage.
How will this affect you as an employee?
In the most basic terms, as a worker in the State of California your employer can not force you to change your appearance as it pertains to your religion. You cannot be told to shave or cut any hair, or required to remove covering garments such as head scarves, if they are part of you religious belief and practice. The language includes the following, but is still rather broad:
The wearing of or carrying on your person, any clothing item or symbol of your faith as require by that belief, such as the wearing of head covering or crucifix.
Your particular grooming as defined by your religion or heritage, to include, facial head or body hair, tattoos, etc. However any employee must adhere to all safety guidelines as in the case of food handling machine operation.
With the new codes your employer must allow, where safe, for you to observe you religion through dress and grooming, they are not however required to make accommodations for isolation from certain other groups, or provide you and isolated place to perform your duties.
If you feel you have been the victim of discrimination, whether for religious practice or otherwise, the team at UELG is ready and waiting to help you. Let us put our 35 years experience to work for you, CALL TODAY.
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