The Orthodox Union – the nations largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – commends the the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for filing a law suit against Convergys Corporation, claiming that they violated federal law by refusing to hire a call center employee who could not work on Saturdays due to his religion.

This demonstrates the need to pass the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA), for which the Orthodox Union has advocated in the past. WRFA would require employers to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of employees insofar as it does not impose an undue hardship upon the employer. This would allow employees to take time off for religious holiday observance and wear religious garb – including facial hair – to work. Despite its introduction in previous Congresses, the legislation has yet to be introduced in the 112th Congress.