Background
The Biden-Harris Administration is firmly committed to combating discrimination in all its forms and educating the Federal workforce on countering related forms of bias and discrimination. The Biden-Harris Administration issued the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism in May 2023, which calls on the Federal government to take a broad array of actions to address Antisemitism, and it is developing the National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination. To support the strategies, OPM has created this toolkit and will facilitate learning sessions for agencies and federal employee unions on countering Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and related forms of bias and discrimination.
Toolkit - General Resources on Workplace Rights and Best Practices
The online resources, below, provide information on Federal employee rights in the workplace. This toolkit is a resource for all Federal employees and can be used as a reference when addressing religious discrimination in the workplace.
- Title VI’s application to Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination: In September 2023, under President Biden’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, Federal agencies clarified that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits certain forms of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and related forms of discrimination in federally funded programs and activities. These wide-ranging protections provide important tools to curb discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics and to better protect the civil rights of all Americans.
- Combating Religious Discrimination: This document explains federal civil rights laws prohibiting religious discrimination and provides examples of conduct that may be civil rights violations.
- Title VI and Coverage of Religiously Identifiable Groups: A letter from Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez to the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education (September 2010) on Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act’s coverage of religiously identifiable groups.
- Religious Discrimination: This resource addresses potential violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is relates to prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. Religious discrimination involves treating a person (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of their religious beliefs, practices, or observances (or lack thereof). Religious discrimination can also include denying someone a reasonable accommodation when their religious belief, practice, or observance conflicts with an employment requirement, unless providing an accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the conduct of the employer’s business. For additional general information on religious discrimination visit https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/fact-sheet-religious-discrimination.
- For a detailed discussion of Title VII’s prohibition against workplace discrimination because of religion visit https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/section-12-religious-discrimination.
- For answers to common question about religious discrimination visit Religious Discrimination - FAQs.
- What You Should Know: Workplace Religious Accommodation: This resource answers questions about workplace religious accommodation and employee rights under Title VII.
- Religious Garb and Grooming in the Workplace: This resource answers questions about Federal employment discrimination law as applied to religious dress and grooming practices and steps employers can take to meet their legal responsibilities in this area.
- Anti-Arab, Anti-Middle Eastern, Anti-Muslim, and Antisemitic Discrimination are Illegal: This resource provides information about workplace discrimination, segregation, harassment, religious accommodations, and retaliation.
- Responsibilities Concerning the Employment of Individuals Who Are, or Are Perceived to Be, Muslim or Middle Eastern: This resource provides information about workplace discrimination based on religion, national origin, and race and identifies steps that an employee can take to exercise their rights under Title VII, including information on discrimination in hiring and other employment decisions, harassment, and religious accommodations.
- What to do if you Face Antisemitism at Work: This resource provides information on religious accommodations, disparate treatment, segregation, workplace harassment, and retaliation protections under Title VII.
- Best Practices for Eradicating Religious Discrimination in the Workplace: This document provides best practices for employers and employees on rights and responsibilities with respect to religious discrimination, including employment decisions, harassment, accommodation, and retaliation.
- Overview of Federal Sector EEO Complaint Process: This resource provides information on the EEO complaint process for all Federal employees and job applicants.
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- If you are a Federal employee or applicant and believe that a Federal agency has subjected you to discrimination, you must contact that agency to file an EEO complaint. For more information on EEO Directors at various Federal agencies, visit https://www.eeoc.gov/federal-sector/federal-agency-eeo-directors.
- Adjustment of Work Schedules for Religious Observances: OPM’s Fact Sheet provides information on requesting and documenting an adjusted work schedule for religious observances.
- Worker Empowerment: Many federal employees have the right to organize and be represented by labor unions. Federal employees represented by labor unions have negotiated grievance rights on various employment matters, including workplace discrimination.