Prohibition of Discrimination Based on Religious Dress and Grooming

Effective January 1, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) now explicitly protects employees’ religious dress and grooming practices as covered religious beliefs and observances. Religious dress includes the wearing or carrying of religious clothing, head or face coverings, jewelry, artifacts and any other item that is part of religious observance; religious grooming includes all forms of head, facial or body hair related to a religious observance or creed. The law further provides that an accommodation that segregates an employee from the public or from other employees is not a reasonable accommodation.