employment Archives - American Atheists https://www.atheists.org/tag/employment/ Protecting the absolute separation of religion from government. Mon, 07 Dec 2020 16:36:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 125490277 Department of Labor Greenlights Employment Discrimination in the Name of Religion https://www.atheists.org/2020/12/department-labor-religious-discrimination/ Mon, 07 Dec 2020 16:28:07 +0000 https://www.atheists.org/?p=27991 Washington, D.C.—December 7, 2020—Today, American Atheists denounced the U.S. Department of Labor’s new regulation that expands federal contractors’ ability to discriminate based on religion. More specifically, the new rule allows nominally religious organizations—and even for-profit corporations—to qualify for discriminatory religious exemptions. The new rule not only expands which employers can discriminate against workers and applicants, but also makes it harder to challenge such discrimination. “This is an absolute attack on religious equality and workers’ rights,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “Job applicants and workers should not have to pass a religious litmus test, especially when it comes to government funded contracts.” “The American taxpayer should not be forced to fund discrimination, period,” she added. The Department of Labor’s new regulations particularly harm atheist, LGBTQ, religious minority, and female workers. Under this rule, any federal contractor—even a construction company, janitorial service, or healthcare provider—can claim a religious mission and refuse to hire any group they disapprove of as long as they cite a religious reason. Empowering federal contractors to discriminate will affect a massive segment of the country and economy. In 2018, the government spent $560 billion on federal contracts, and in 2017, there were over 4.1 million workers employed by government contractors. “On their way out the door, the Trump Administration is doing everything it can to lock in preferential treatment for religious bigots over the rights of millions of American workers who could lose their jobs as a result,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “We look forward to working with the incoming  Biden Administration to reverse this dangerous policy.”

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]]> 27991 American Atheists Opposes Employment Discrimination in the Name of Religion https://www.atheists.org/2019/09/department-of-labor-religious-discrimination/ Mon, 16 Sep 2019 21:18:40 +0000 https://www.atheists.org/?p=16300 Washington, D.C.—Today, American Atheists submitted testimony opposing the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposal to greatly expand the number of federal contractors who can claim religious exemptions, as well as the scope of those exemptions. The proposed rule violates the First Amendment’s religion clauses. It not only substantially involves the government in religious practice but also promotes dominant religions. By allowing religious federal contractors to discriminate against employees who do not abide by the employer’s religious beliefs, employees who follow dominant religious beliefs will have an economic advantage over employees who are secular, who follow a less popular religion, or who interpret a dominant religion differently from their employer. In addition, the rule harms third parties, especially atheist, LGBTQ, religious minority, and female workers. Under this rule, any federal contractor—even a construction company, janitorial service, or healthcare provider—can claim a religious mission and refuse to hire any group they disapprove of as long as they cite a religious reason. Empowering federal contractors to discriminate will affect a massive segment of the country and economy. In 2018, the government spent $560 billion on federal contracts, and in 2017, there were over 4.1 million workers employed by government contractors. “This rule has the potential to harm millions of American workers, and it is shameful that [the Department of Labor] has the temerity to propose such a sweeping and unjustified change to federal employment law, let alone doing so with only 30 days to respond,” said Alison Gill, American Atheists’ Vice President for Legal and Policy, who submitted the testimony. “[The proposed rule] should be withdrawn in its entirety.”

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