Expert: Michael Troy - 11/30/2007

Question
i want to know is there anything i can do about a certain situation i am facing at work? i am a 22 year old american citizen and i am a muslim. In my religion it says that i must not cut my beard. i recently got hired to work in a bank and because i have a beard they want me to shave it off. is there anything i can do about this. thank you

Answer
Hi Phillip,

I am not permitted to provide specific legal advice in this forum.

However, generally speaking employers are required to provide some religious accommodation to the religious beliefs and practices of their employees.  There are numerous cases where a "no beard" policy has been found illegal based on religious or ethnic discrimination issues.  

If you inform your employer of your religious requirement for a beard, and they fail to accommodate and take any negative employment action against you, you may want to consider hiring an attorney and/or filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  Keep in mind that most attorneys will take such cases at no cost to you because they can recover their fees from the employer if they win.

I hope this helps!
- Mike