Groff argued that it was too difficult for employees to bring religious claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination on various fronts, including religion.
The justices in a unanimous ruling written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito clarified a 1977 Supreme Court ruling called Trans World Airlines v. Hardison. The court said then that employers are not required to make accommodations if they would impose even a minimal or, using the Latin term preferred by the court, “de minimis,” burden.
That ruling built on the language of Title VII, which says an accommodation can be rejected only when there is an “undue hardship” on the employer.
The court on Thursday ruled that the hardship needs to be more than a minimal one.
The Supreme Court rules in favor of a Christian mail carrier who claimed the U.S. Postal Service did not do enough to accommodate his request not to work on Sundays in a case that will make it easier for employees to seek religious accommodations. https://t.co/mnNJqlWH88
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 29, 2023