Title VII of the Civil Rights Act requires employers, upon request, to reasonably accommodate employees whose religious beliefs, practices, or observances conflict with work requirements. The only exception to this would be if the accommodation request causes undue hardship.  

One holiday where employers may be asked for religious accommodations is during Ramadan. This year, Ramadan begins on the evening of Friday, February 28, 2025, and ends Saturday, March 29, 2025. Employers may start to receive requests for religious accommodations and should be aware of the Title VII requirement to grant accommodation requests. 

OutSolve’s EEO colleague, Toni Ahl, is an occasional contributor to our blog. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to Toni and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of OutSolve or its employees.

OutSolve’s EEO colleague, Toni Ahl, is an occasional contributor to our blog. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to Toni and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of OutSolve or its employees.

Sex was one of the original bases covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). The term sex discrimination has evolved throughout the years and now encompasses many additional areas of sex discrimination that Congress had not initially considered. Let’s look at some of the changes.

The skills of workers with disabilities who are active in our workplaces and economy are honored during October for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). In August 2023, which was the 33^rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the employment population ratio for disabled people was 23%, which was the highest on record. Comparatively, in August 2021, the ratio was 19.2%. The Department of Labor (DOL) suspects that the increase may be attributed to the changes related to the pandemic, such as greater access to telework and other flexible workplace arrangements that may have opened the doors for many disabled workers. According to the DOL, “despite this positive trend, an unacceptable employment gap remains, and until it closes, we have work to do.”

OutSolve’s EEO colleague, Toni Ahl, is an occasional contributor to our blog. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to Toni and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of OutSolve or its employees.

The mission of the ADA and Section 503 is to help employers build more equitable, inclusive organizations that value the contributions of individuals with disabilities.The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed 33 years ago to protect individuals with disabilities against discrimination in their public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places. Government contractors are obligated to adhere to both the ADA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 503 prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against individuals with disabilities and requires affirmative action programs to recruit, hire, promote and retain individuals covered by the act. 

Creating inclusive workplaces is critical for any employer that wants to make the most from its talent. This means building an environment where everyone feels they belong and feels open to making requests and contributing ideas.

Federal contractors’ EEO-1 data was released by OFCCP exposing underrepresentation of women and minorities in high level positions at top companies.

3 Tips for Celebrating International Women’s Day at Work

Each year on March 8, countless employers make time for celebrating International Women’s Day at work. This important annual event recognizes the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.  

From the OFCCP:

Transgender Awareness week is annually observed from November 13, 2022 to November 19, 2022. During this time, transgender people and their allies bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy to address the prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.